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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
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CEITTEITITIAL' 



p>K^JCji Of 



NEBRASKA. 



COMPILED BY THE HISTORICAL COMMITTEE AND READ 

BY DR. CLARK, CHAIRMAN, AT THE CENTENNIAL 

CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 

AT SUTTON, THE COUNTY SEAT, 

JULY FOURTH 1876. 



B. H. WHITE, PUBLISHEIi, 
SUTTON, NEBRASKA. 







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NEBRASKA. 



.COMPILED BY THE HISTORICAL COMMITTEE AND READ 
, BY DR. CLARK, CHAIRMAN, AT THE CENTENNIAL 
CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 
AT SUTTON, THE COUNTY SEAT, 

JULY FOURTH 1876. 




Jt', K. WHITE, PUBLI8HilB, 
SUTTON, NEBRASKA, 



H^jki- 



Printed at the Office of th» 

Clay Co. Globe, 

PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY. 

p. H. "WHITE, Editor * Proprietor. 
SUTTON NEBRASKA. 






^7^. 



A History 



OF 



COMPILED BY THE HISTORICAL COMMITTEE, AND READ BY 

DM. MARTin CLARK, CHAIRMAN, AT THE CENTENNIAL 

CELEBRATION OE AMERICAN INDEPEyDENCE 

AT S UTTON. NEBRASKA 

July 4th., 1876. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

In accordance with a joint resolu- 
tion of Congress on the Centennial 
celebration ®f American Independ- 
ence in the several towns and coun- 
ties ia the United State?, approved 
March 13, 1876, and the Proclama- 
tion of His Excellency, Silas (barber. 
Governor oi the State ot Nebraska^ 
don^ at Lincoln, the Capital, April 
25, 1S76, meetings were held, after 
having been advertised., at Sutton and 
Harvard ia J/ay, 1876, to appoint 
committees to compile the history of 
Clay county, and the several towns 
situated in the county, and to 
make proper arrangements to cele- 
brate the One-Hundredth Anniversary 
of the Independence of the United 
States of America, 

The committees appointed were 
Dr. Martin Clark, Sutton. 
Judge J. R. Maltby, " 
Erastus H. White, " 

Ezra Brown , Harvard. 

Ira F. Pearsall, '* 

J.T. Fleming- *<■ 

To which were added by appointment 
of the committees elected at Harvard 
and Sutton, VVm. J. Waite, Edgar, 
and Richard Bayly, Fairfield. 

At a joint meeting of the above 
historical committees held at Sutton, 
June 26, 1876, it was decided to au- 
thenticate the history of the organisa- 



tion of the county and all statistical 
material, &c-, from the County Rec- 
ords, which has been don^; also that 
the county history should be written 
by Precincts, and an extended histo- 
ry of each town be adde.i as part of 
the same. 

It has been the aim of the commit- 
tee to present in the following pages, 
a history that shall be alike impartial, 
accurate and truthful. 

Historical Sl<etch of Sutton. 

Luther French, born at Painsville, 
Geauga county, Ohio, looked over 
and located his 

homestead upon the N>^ of N, Wji^ 
Sec. 2, Town 7, Range 5, upo;/ which 
is the origin J town of Sutton, on the 
the 14, day of March 1^70. June 5, 
of the same year he moved upon it 
and made penaianent settlement, 
camping near the north section line, 
on the creek, for a few weeks, when 
he built his house, partly in the banks 
of School Creek; he was the first 
white settler in the town and precinct 
The house is still standing on the mar- 
gin of the grove and was logged uj),on 
the inside, covered with bark and dirt, 
having the ground for a floor, and is 
in much the same condition as when 
built though long since abandoned. 
On one side of the dug-out was a 
blind chamber, under ground, this 
was connected with the outer world 
by a subteiranean passage some rods 
m length and reaching down to the 
creek bank below. Here Mr. French 
gathered and hid his treasures^ — 1 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



flock of motherless children, when 
attackei by Indians, 

Tnat summer Mr. French broke 
about six acres of land at the east 
X)ar/rf town- nis nearest neighbors 
in the county were at Spring iiranche 
on the Little Blue, j-onie twenty-five 
miles south. west, at which i)lace the 
settlement of the county commenced 
The next settler on the town site was 
Janifs C. Vroman who took a soldiers 
homestead upon the quarter section 
Kouth of Mr. French, built a, dug-out 
on the creek near C, AT. Turner's 
present residence, and began culti- 
vating the land. Z>uring 1870 there 
were plenty of elk, deer, antelope, 
beaver and wolves. 

In the sprii'g of 187 1, Mr- 7a-ench 
soved about four acres of whe<?t, 
thrashed *^t hy "treading out," win- 
nowed it in the wind and floured it at 
^hlford, Seward county, forty-eight 
miles below here, on the Big Blue, 
which at that time was /he nearest 
grist mill.. The neighbors had a bee 
to aid him in his harvest and are 
said to have got a "little too much in 
their heads," ending in a frolic and a 
general good time of fun and rejoic, 
ing. 

May 4th 1871, D, W. Grav, his son 
Jobu M., son-iu-law G. VY: Bumis with 
\Y. Canninj; and wi(e came into Ibe 
town All settlinor oa land immediately 
luljoiDing; tt)wn; Mrs. Cunnio-r was tiie 
tirst married white -woniaa that settled 
neat Icwu. 

lu May 1871 the lirst business house 
was establisbed by one Mr, McTyge, was 
built <;f boards and located nearly be- 
tween the Louses ol' il. VV. Gray and A. 
A. SlcCoy, llieie liie town started and 
pew lor sevcial mon'us till the railroad 
crossed tbe viraw, and (ben it moved west 
to its vi'fseut location. Mr. MeTyge's 

stock cPUiisted of whisky and groceia-s: 
About tbe same time Keainey <!c KeiJey 
Btartei a saloon in a lent- P. H. Cnr- 

ran and Mart Hig^iius ilarled another 
saloifl soon followini. 

Tb' se saloons preceded the 

railroad builders, and nioj-t ol tlieni vun- 

ijlieri as tbe railroad passed forward to 
tbe west. 

Auih-ew /S'bcrwood wa» tbe first cun- 
nins^ wojker iu metals anonjj us, ard 
e.jmmenced blowing bis I'orge and swiug- 
iLg bis bnmmer in a sou sucp, just 
below tbe Freucb dug-out, in June 1871, 
^buut Ibrs time J, 7(!. Maltby came i.p 



from Crete. >'eb., folla\Ted soon afler 
by Wni. A. Way. Tbese me'' jumped 
'.be claim d i. V. Vrcoian coutes'ing it 
at Lincoln a«d TFasbinalon and succeed- 
ed in gellint- it canceled, and tbe title 
])erf'ecied in tbemsclves, as elsewhere' 
recorded. In February, 1873, tbey .'aid 
it out a? the Ursi addition to tfutlo;). 

August, 23d 1S71. Tliurlow Weeil 
came from Lincoln and brought with bim 
a car- loud of lumber, tbe iirs't one in tbe 
county, and for pomt; lune managed the 
lumber trade for Monnell, Lashley is 
>Fer'd, of "wbirb tirm he was a luember. 
Ou tbe following day , John jI. G-av & 
Co., shipped a car-load of lumber from 
Lincoln and tiave continue I in tbe same 
busiuf=s uulil Ibe present time. J. M. 
Gray w^js commissioueJ a Notary Public 
s«on after, tbe first oae in tlie county. 
Among tbe early men, of tbe '.owu, vviio 
have gone away, are Asa J racy wl.o kept 
tbe first boarding and lodging bon^e, 
and afterwards a store; gone "west. 
Cbas. Calkins who followed Ibe same 
business; gone west. Old father LyL-cU 
a comical and very good-natured maa 
kepi & SiilooD iu tbe builluig now occu- 
pied bj' Bagley * Bemis: alter losing 
bis beallli, qnit tbe busmes?, bcquealbed 
bis property to charitable purposes aiid 
die.l. 

Thornton 11. Liutou ca'ne from Iowa 
and commenced tbe livery business with 
four boracs, ^ept, 20lb 1871. His first 
stable w: s built out of pole? covered with 
prairie bay; He now bis a spacious sta- 
tde ou launders avenue, well supplied 
with horses and carriages. 

August 12th, 1871, Mr, French laid 
out the lovvii iu about 600 lots, and 0.1 a 
suj^-geslna of Air. Maltby it was named 
Suitou from a town (»i' the same name 
iu Rlassachuselis. 

'1 be first caucus in tbe town was held 
in the fall 0/ 1871 at French's dugoul. 

Octo'jer lith 1871 an elect ioa was held 
at the house of Alexander Campbell, near 
Harvard, at which e'ection Button was 
made the cou'.ity seat by a vote oi' 58 to 
43, and has retained it ever since. 

The fi;st white child born here was 
the little daughter, since decea-^ed, ot 
Mr. and Mrs, F, A. Gross, boiu Febru- 
ary lolh 1S72. 

Tbe lirst death was that of ■iitic 3Iaude 
Tracy, ciaugbcer of .Mr, aud Mrs. Asa 
7'racy, A pril 2lsf, 1872. J( was the lirst 
i-b-jUow tliat death had cist over the town 
She was a geneial favorite — everyone 
missed her. To her 

funeral all went; -^lilioug'i uo solp.ran 
bell tolled, everyone wass sad, aud the 
well linovvn requiem was sung at hcv 
grave. '"aS/w sleeps ui the Vallei/ so sweet.'' 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



The first sliootua' aflVay ibat occurred 
im tiie loTTD aud in t'us part of the couu' 
*y w«s occasioned by a jealousy between 
Mulleu and his prriner, sal( on-keepers; 
Flynu flot Mnileii i^ Mie face al- 
ttouth Bot seriously. These fellows 
were tacinated by the charms of an Oma- 
ha belle. 

Gray & Bemis estabished a nursery 
business Nov. 1st 187:, shippius? a gen- 
eral as-scrtment of fruit trres, small fruits 
shrubs and ornamental tree?. 

In February 1872 the tirst directory 
of the t(^wn and county was published by 
tjoustou aud Street, since dissolved, at 
Lincoln. llie descripiion of the town 
in Ihat directory foims Ihe basis of near- 
ly all that has since been written. The 
directory contained in ciry-2,oods and gro- 
ceries 3. flour and feed 2. Drugs 1. 
hardware 1, lumber '2, lolels 1, imple- 
iAents= 1, nursery 1, livery 1, fur and 
hides 1, meat market 1, real estate 2, 
doctoisl. attorneys 1, notary public 1. 
ghoemaker 1. 

Wm TVonlnian was then the shoemak- 
er aud also the lirst resident minister in 
the town. lu all there were but 21 
busintss and professional meu. 

Then the combined capital of the town 
fvas'$15,00D, amount of business per 
year $25,000. Whole number of houses 
and buildings in town was 2i>. 

Today we have in dry goods and gro- 
ceries 5, dry goods 1, grocers 1, hard- 
ware 2, drugs 2; milliueiy 2, meat 
market 1, shoe store 1, shoe makers 2, 
bhckso'iiLs 3, carriage makers 2. cabinet 
milker and iurcitiue 1; builders 4: jewel- 
ers 1; Livery 1; Hotels 2. Lumber dealers 
\ 2,Grain dealers H. Siock dealers 3. 
Implenjciits 5. Proprietary medicine 
mauutticlurers 1. newspapers 2 lawyers 
7. doctors 4. clergymen 2. notaries 4. 
brickmakeis 1. ice dealers 1. billiard 
halls 3. harness makers 2. barber 1. 
Other business aud agencies of all kinds 
61. Total business aud professions 126 

Ifthiscari be considered an index to 
our material progress, then we have (be 
rem.arivabie ratio of increase, as 1 is to 6^. 
The combined capital ol yuUon, exclu- 
sive ot fcieign agencies, invested in trade 
is ^70,000; I'otsI yearly tiade 1310,000; 
this Clots not include either the Fxpress. 
Postcthce nor Railroad business. 

POPULATION, •< 

Four years ago the population was in 
&11 35; p( pulation now, 415, 

VALUATION. 

Present tax valuation of real 
Sutton is 

Personal piopcrly 
Railroad bed 



For assistance, in gathering material 
from public records for this sketch: the 
committee recognize, the valuable ser- 
vices of J B Dinsmore county clerk, his 
deputy JT J Hull and F M Brown former 
county clerk, 

Nov, l&t r971, Isaac N, and Martin 
ClHrk came from Illinois and Ohio, re, 
spectively, and purchased the unsold 
portion of the town site of Mr, French 
lor $4,000. They immediately commenc 
ed the building 'vhich is new the Clark 
House and in Februarv the following 
ye'^r put in a stock of harcwa'e aud 
drugs, These stocks were the Erst of 
their kind in the town or county and the 
earliest on the B, & M. west of Crete, 
I, N. Clark & Co. opened the hardware 
February 20, and ifartin CUrk & Co., 
the arugs February lOlb 1872. 



Total 



estate in 

34,016 

38,988 

4. 000 

177,004 



v.. M. Turner, on Nov. 17, 1871, 
came up from Crete, and built a store 
near where he lives, facing north to a 
street that has since been moved several 
lots soutli aud new called E'm street. 
Dee, 9!h he opened a stock of general 
merchandise and shipped the first full 
carload of flour to the town. Corey & 
Co. came up at the same time and built 
beside Mr. Turner. These two firms 
were always spirited rivals. Corey & 
Co. sold out to Stewart 4d Evans, went 
to Crete and have since faded. 

At this time most of the town was all 
on this, now obliterated street, which ex- 
tended down as far as the present switch 
acd was called "whiskey row." After 
wards the town, like a balky, bead 
strong horse, went east across the draw. 
The Clarks and Grays build'og the trus- 
tie bridge east of the Court house to go 
over on. i, N. Clark & Co built and 
stocked a hardware store down on Mam 
avenue, also Martin Clark and Co a drug 
store, this was late m 1872. 

Then came Merrill & Co.. built and 
stocked a general store, early in January 
followed bv Jihn I, Smith in the harness 
busiticbs a'id Chas. Meyer boot and shoe 
shot). About the sime time A, Burlin- 
game bought out Judge Maliby's interest 
in the building he had previously built 
lor a post oflSce; afterward Mr. Burlin- 
game tulded a lean -to, and J. M. Gray 
put. up a building south ot the post-office. 
Charley Calkins aud W. B, Jenkins built 
houses and Grays moved the Mines 
building, which was the tirst scbocl- 
hoUse, over for an ofliice. The new town 
auurished. A lot of sorghum cane grow- 
ing in that parloftown gave itthename of 
Sorghum, The impetus given by the es- 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



lablislimcnl of the depot, and flie survey- 
ing ot Ibe (iist addition to Sutton by 
Mul*by and Way. checked the progress 
oC the bniidiuo- of east Snttoa, ibr a busi- 
ness point, and accordingly the business 
men one by one came back, and except- 
iuc J, M. Gray and Co and H W Gray 
located ou 5<aunder8 avenne. F.xed in 
the nemory of the aclors in that move- 
ment are (be awful big siories General 
Warren Hull used to swin in the stores 
tbrouoh the winter and the lays of Char- 
ley Meyer's clarionet in the mmnier 
eveniDs;s when his days work was done 
That part ol to An, afterwards built scuth 
ot the track was called iS'crabble Hiii. 

Thompson and Young commenced 
ihe agricultural miplemeiit business Jan. 
Ist. 1872 and were the carries': in tha' 
business in t!ie cui.nty I'hey sold the 

lirst year S10,OLfO w.)rlli ui' imi)lenients 
a»jd were succeeded by Tliompson liro"s. 

Stewart and Evans succeeded to the 
business; ot Corey and Co, October 9th. 
1872, Two years later Geo. Stev\art and 
Co purchased and carried ou thebusmess. 

April 1st 1ST3 Wm, A. Way came up 
from Crete and 5.1arted a hardware store 
in the Fuze:eraid building; this was the 
third building south of the track, the 
lir&t was built by F A Gross in the tali 
ol 1872, In the spiing of "'73 Knbbier 
built a furniture store now occupied by 
Geo. Honey. /S'oon after comcieu«;icg 
businjss Mr TFay built the building now 
occupied by W^eed and Co who succeed- 
ed hiin in business iu 1874. 

In the fall of 1873 Way and Stewart 
built the double building 0( cupied by 
Keller and Co and Merrill and Co. 

Au'ong the early setilers iu Sutton 
precinct are liussel and John Merrill 
and their larailies who settlsd ou Section 
20, RuBsel built b-s house iu the summer 
ol 1871. a Irame house ceiled, which was 
a {;rcat luxury in those times. John 
built iu the fall. Most of the houses were 
made of scds with root cosered with sods 
and ground floors. The settlers oiten 
used boy es and nail kegs for chairs, and 
board, home made tables were common 
articles of luiuituie. 

Indeed the people in the town and couu- 
try never dreamed of a suit of rooms, but 
were very proud if they had one room 
in a houfe. Dug outs constructed in 
the banks of ravines weie also a very 
fashionable way of living when the iteo- 
ple were either aJraid of the winds or 
came iu too late to build better bousce, 

Merrill and Co commenced business 
ou Main avenue Jan- I87o, and dealt in 
Dry-Goods and Groceries. Kussel raised 
and the lirni shipped the first cai of grain 
Irom this county Aug. 14th 1873. 



Conner and Sheppard respectively 
from Ohio and Illinois opened an exclu- 
sive grocery store iu March 1873 and 
were the first exolu°ive grocers m the 
town. 

Dec. 15. 1873 Markus Wittenberg a 
native of Hungary came from Topeka 
Kan. and opened a confectionery and 
fruit-store, afterwards added Gioceries 
and Dry Goods. 

Aug. lOtb. 1873 Mrs. C, M. Church 
opened a millinery stoie. 3Irs M V 
Foote's was the first one inthe place, 

Melviu Bros, came !rom Fillmore, Neb 
and commenced business in Diy Goods 
and Groceries in Aug, 1873. Gross, 
Kribbler, Turner and the Melv'us are 
the piwnper store bailders ".n Ibat flourish- 
ing part of town scuib of the track. 

Grice and Towslee established their 
harness business Feb, 26 1875. successors 
to John I. Smith, ^ very talkative chaf> 
who flourished in Sorghum's palmv days, 
and whose business card still rsmains all 
over the the front of his toimer 
shop on Main avenue. On the same 
day J F Evans and Co opened their lum- 
ber yard successors to Mounell, Ijasliler 
and Weed. 

F W Hohmann came in from Lincoln 
Neb. and opened a dry-goods aud grocery 
stoi'e, in June 187-1 He was a musician 
by profession and organized Come!, 
bands at Harvard and Suttvu. 

John B. Ealou and Sou bu'lt a grain 
ware house Feb 1. 1874 The building 
was afterwards sold to Eaton and Pyle 
and later pissed into the bauds of F A 
Pyle and Co. Eatou and Pyle enlarged 
it to a horse power elevator having a 
storage capacity of 7,000 bushels anci a 
daily capacity of 1,000. 

J F Evans and Co, T A Margrave 
manager commenced the giain business 
iu thH fall of 1874- This company are 
extensive dealers it being a series of 
seven extending from the Mississippi 
River to .button, there being tive in Iowa 
and two in ISebraska. The daily capac- 
ity of their elevator in &uttou is 2, OCO 
hushels- 

McKee and Robinson commenced the 
phoiograpb business iu the summer of 
1873. Afterwards McKee bucceeded to 
the business, 

W J Keller and Co, druggists, coramea- 
ced operaticns Nov. 30, 187-5; they are 
successors to J Tuompsou and Co. who 
commenced business iu the fall of 1873. 

Alcorn and Clyce commenced business 
in asricullnral impleuients Sept. 15, '75; 
successors to Alcorn and Colvard, 

J E Ryan Jicni Illinois commenced 
business May Isl, 1S76; operating the 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NKBRASKA. 



first exclusively dry-ffOoJs store in the 

conniy. 

Mav 19, 187fi, Mrs F A Gross opened 
a inlliDcry store and dress-making es- 
lablisliment, 

ill llie Sprin": of 18V6, B B Crorin 
commenced ic tlie boot and shoe trade, 
tbetirst of the kinl la Sat Ion. 

Tlie ^u^ton Brick Companv, J S 
LeHew. Superintendent, I N Clark. 
Treasurer commenced the successlul 
manulacture oC brick June 1st, ISTfi. 

Joiil 22. 1876, Shev-wood and Torrev 
opened their meat market. Kriejrer and 
B^ltKer were in ihis business before fheni 
acd had a shop ,)ust. north ot Grays 
Inrober yard. After the shop was mov- 
ed osto " Saurders avenue. W Cunnins 
bought into the lirm and sold out again 
lo Kieiger. 

Afierwards Cunning- was appointed 
deputy sheriff which office be holds up 
lo the present time. Earliar he used to 
be a great man to drive work and did 
mostof the heavy hauling in the town 
Later Eugene B°mis succeeded (o the 
business and had a dray built, the fir^t 
one in the town. 

The first builder in town was Henry 
Potter now of bprina "Rauche, He built 
P. H. Cuirau's saloon near the last ot 
May 1S71. 

The Urst plastered building in t^utton 
■was ihe County Court houps built and 
plastered early in 1873. The masons 
came from Crete. 

Other I raises not before mentioned are 
A A t^colt. Montgomery and Bro. Emery 
and Bro. and I B Teriyll: Builders. 

W W Jordau, and Farris and Co. 
mason's. 

Spencer and Co. Wm Smeltser and 
James Mcvey; Blacksmiths. 

Daniel Crouin and F. J, Hoerger; car 
riage aud wagon makers. 

Paul Braitseh, successor to J D Har- 
ris, Jeweller. 

B B Crouin and Geo KarcLer; shoe 
makers, 

Ramsey and Griffith, house and sign 
i:ainter£. 

John Nehf; harness maker. 

Augustus. Meyer. Barber. 

Wm Ryau, l' H Curran aud James 
Stewail; Billiards, 

BUILDINGS. 

'^mong the residences having 

considerable pretentions to elegance, are 
the hotses of J B Dinsmore; couniy 
ckrk aud F M Davis Treasurer, also that 
of J ^ Bagley. P if Browu. W E Bemis. 
Samtiel Conn; James ifelviu; 8 B 
Montgomery and Geo Stewart, And 
the costly houses of the leaders of the 
Russian colony; Gj-osshans: Hoffman 



and Griess; also the rpsic'enccs of Messr.s. 
t) M Turner. Geo A loom, J W Shirley, 
D L Cornwell and J D Harris' two story 
24x50 frame building. 

Not'ceable among Uie many buiJdinns 
..that space does not allow montio:i is the 
two story buildinu with Masonic hall 
above o; I N (hu'k and Co; store build- 
ing ot Conner aud Hheppard one story, 
22x70. the two story building, with 
Odd Fellow-g Hall ot John Grosshaus 
24x60. and the one story build'ng of 
Henry Griess, har'^lware 24x60, one 
story of IFeed and Co, and store same 
size occupied by J E Ryan, aud T'urner 
and n outer's store 20x80. Coun y 
court house two stories. r-^ew public 
school buildinj; 40x40, with appropriate 
and artistic projections, each vvay; 24 
loot po8!s, with a belfry and dome. 
It has two rooms below r.ud a chapel 
lull size above, with all the modern 
coriveniei ces of cloak and apiratus 
rooms, cost $4,000.00. 

The First Congregational Church, the 
tirst church buildinsr jn the town or coun- 
ty, i«i 28x40 feet, 16 foot ceiling, and wag 
erec'ed in the fall of 1875. cost $1,500. 

The first, Methodist Episcopal church 
of brick: now, buildiug, 30x40 18 feet 
hisrh- 

Tolal number of buildings in town four 
yf-ars ago, 20 

Total number of buildings how 150* 

In that period of time there has bcea 
five busioess failures, the period includ- 
ing the money panic of 1873 and giass 
hopper famine of 1874 

The county commissioners appointed 
the tirsr board of trustees for the town 
of Sutton in November 1874. They were 
F M B-owu, Martin Clark; James Mel- 
vin: John C Merrill. Win A Wav. The 
uex* board were elected in May 1875; 
and were .1 {) Merrill. Martiu Clark, 
Geo- Stewart. Paul Braitseh aud Wm A 
Way The present board elected in May 
1876 aie E P Church. I N (71ark, F A. 
Pyle, James Sheppard aud J W Shirley. 

The flist school biii.din;.j in Suttou \va< a rrama 
house, built b, r>wsn Mine?, an.t stood i early be- 
l^^eeQ the presents sideuces of C. M. Turner aad 
Mr. Rowe; It was sold ai shiTifl's sals to the 
Clark Brothers lo satisfy a lumber debt in favor 
ofMr. We«J; afterward it was rented one jear 
tor what It cost, lo Thompson & Youa?; then 
soldioJ. M Gra^A Co, tor aa office, whch ihe/ 
now occisDy William Weed tausht ths first 

scUooi in the town, aud Ihe ■second iu toe couutr, 
comraen ing about the 20th of January, 1ST2; 
avtrase altendaucs 14. 

SUTTOJV HOTELS. 

William Shirley came from Lincoln, Nebraska 
December 7 h, 1871; In February, 1S72 he bailt 
the first hotfl la Uie ulace; Tue part buiU then, 
was moved buck, in JunelSI4, and is now ns?d 
tor a kitchen, aud in it:> place was built the pres- 
ent ' Central Hotel," which was formaliy oy.dLied 
for giie-ts June 22d, 1874, the event bein^ cete-' 
brated in the evening by toasts and speeches. 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASkA. 



The bnildiiig bow kuovvn as the 'Clarii House, ' 
,wa.« used, up to January l^t, 18T3, by Slark Bros, 
for the f ale of hardware aad dra;'-!; at tbat date 
ft was opened a« a hotel, hy Z>'idly Hoisinarton, 
until the 10th of Au just 1S73, when it passed int ) 
the I'aDcIs of B. ¥. Char'h, who has t>een its pro- 
prietor ever siacp; Mr. Church is a native oi' NcW 
York, buccame to Sutton from Beatrice Neb. 
JV^ WSPAPERS. 

'•'TheSatton Times," weekly, was eofabii.-hed 
and issued i(s fir.< mimher on Friday, June •20th 
fST.S; It was at that tini" a five colittnu quarto, 
with '-patent inside;"* It hid nine cohnmns of 
advertising and eleven columns of local reading 
matter; inibeflrst issue vras an anicle on the 
early settleraent of Suttom; mere were represpnt- 
ed m its ftd i'ert'.siH'S ma'ter, twenty three dfie:^ 
ent branches of business and pro-"e'--sioris; It is 
now an eight colramn fdio, "i>atei)t inside," with 
8 columns of advfrti-in? and 44 advertiser.-'.; ex- 
ceptins for a short, tfmn atter st'ininy', it has bcin 
the officia' paper of the county ; Hepublicm in pol- 
itics; edited and p?ibli^hed at comiiieucoment by 
Wtllman & Brakeman, and succs-sively by Well- 
man & White, wellman Brothers,, and now by 
i ank B. Wellman. 

"The Ci.ay Couuty Herald"' wa? star ed nnd 
issued its first number Saturday, June Slst,. 18'53; 
edited and Dublished by J. M. Sechier, snd Wm. 
J, Cowan; Its last issa?, was published in the fall 
ol 1873, when it failed r It was a seven columu 
f*lia>, '"patent inside," with a liberal amount of 
advertising; Independent in poliiics. 

"The Clay County Globe," semi weekly, was 
established and issued its fii-st number Jaiy lith 
1S75, F. M. Comstock. editor, J. S . LeHew„ busi- 
ness manager; It was a 4 column lolio. all primed 
at home ; Independent in politics . October 1st 
1875, it.was purchased by E H. White, who has 
edited and pub lishrd it since weekly; Eepublicau 
i«p'olitics; October 29th, 1875, it was eul^rged lo 
a six column folio, ^'oatent msic'ie," and is now 
ihe official paper of the lowj of Sutton. It now 
has six columns of local reading matter and six 
eoJaians of advertising,, aad forty-twn acvertissrs. 

A B Lucore settled and built a large 
two sloiy business bouse, 18?-40' feel, ou 
Maiu avenue in the sprirg of 1873. He 
first came to S utton with Messrs Gray, 
Cunning and Iiemis,.jn 1871. and located 
at tbat time on land a few miles' east of 
tawn, upon wbieb be built a laiifge fiame 
fiouse. 

THE LAW TEES 

The following is a list ol the lawyeis 
in the order in which they settled and 
eeaimenced practice; 

Kobert G. Brown,, a native of Illinois, 
settled April 10th., 1871— th& I'tirst law- 
yer in the county. His Hrst case and 
the first law-suit in the county, was be- 
fore John R. Maltby, Probate Judge, 
November 2nd, 1871. The case was 
about a well, James S Schermerhorn, 
Plaintiff, vs David P , Jayne, Defendaint. 
Mr Brown was attorney for the plaintiff, 
and won the suit, receiving a fee of $10. 
He is a Notary Public; and was a dele- 
gate to the National Ke publican eon- 
?eBtioji at Cincinnati, Ohio, June Idth. 
1876, 

Hosea W Gray, a native of Pennsylva- 
nia, settled May 4th, 1871, and com- 
menced pra<etiGing law Nov. 2n(l 1871, 
having been consulted ia the Schermer- 
horn vs Jayne case. His next ca?e was. 
liefone A K Marsh, Justice ot the Peace, 
where he appeared for the defendant in 
the case of EUiaon vs HuBy and W€in the 
wait. 



H W Gray and A A McCoy, both 
from Marion, Iowa, commenced their 
law, collection a'ld real-estate bligrness 
March 13th 187-1 and have continued to 
the present time. Mr Gray was formerly 
a member of Ibe Consiitoticual conven- 
tion of Iowa. 

J S LeHeT, a native of Ohio, came 
hi^re from Fillmore county in 1874, 
was admitted to the bar in Feb, 
1875, and commenced the law, pension 
and colleciion business. Be has beeni 
town clerk for two stjccessive years. 

John E. Bagley. a native of Iowa,, 
came from Falls city, Nebraska, to this 
place, Sept 4th 1874. and commenced 
practicing law. He is now in the law 
firm of Bagley and Bemis. 

E. H. White, a native of Ohio, and 
G W Bemis, a native of New York, were 
admitted to the bar May 23d 1874 and 
commenced practice to-getber continu'nac 
so for about seven months. Mr, White 
i« alooe in the law and collection business. 
He was the founder of the York Monitor, 
the first new.«paperin York county, and 
settled here in J'lly 1873, and for a short 
time, owned a half interest m the Sutton 
Times; Be is also editor and proprietor 
01 the Clay County Globe, a newspaper 
published weekly in Sutton. 

G W Bemis is a notary public, and is 
now ni company with Mr, Bagley, in the 
law business. 



J S LeHdW and J W Shirley 
tlces of the Peace. 



are Jus- 



physicians; 

Following is a list of Physicians In 
the order in which they settled m town. 

Martin V. B. Clark, M B. M D. a na, 
five of Cuyahoga county O; graduated 
from the college of Pharmacy ot Baldwin 
I University. O-hio Feb 28th 1867 and in 
Medicine at the Cleveland Medical col. 
lege, Ohio Feb'-uary 4th. 18>69-: was Pro- 
lessor of Pharmacy fowr years in the 
former college and a member of tue 
convention lo revise the Uaited States 
Phartnacopoeia of 1870; commenced the 
practice of medicine at this place Nov 
1, 71— the first physician in the county. 

Markus W. Wilcox. M. D., a native of 
Genesee county Ne-w York: took his 
first course at the Eclectic school; Cincin- 
nati Ohip and graduated at the Ohio gMed 
ical college in 1850: and took aa addenda 
at the Chicago Medical college in 1864 
conmenced piacticeim this place in July 
1878: he is the present Commissioner of 
Insanity for this county: and U S pension 
Surgeon, both positions having been 
previously held by Dr» Clark from 
187atolS75v 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



W.M. Pammis., M. D. anative oflili- 
iiiois: took l)is first course at tlie Kentucky 
School of Medicine and eraduateil at the 
■Louisville Medical college early Id 1875: 
■was (or some time thereafter in the 
Louisville ciiy fiosyital: seftlfd here and 
comm^'nced practice July 26tb, 1875. 

R M Cotton: M. D.: Ph.D., a native of 
Portage county Ohio: graduated m 
Tcchnoloffy with the degree of Doctor of 
Piiilosopby. and lu Medicine at the Lni- 
versitv of Michigan 1875: po^tled here 
and commenced practice March 1st 1876. 

THE EUSSIAKS: 

A colony of Germans from southern 
Russia, near t'je port of Odessa on the 
Black sea. came to Sutton and settled 
iu th« town and adjacent country, in 
the Jail of 1873. The principal leaders 
of the colony were John Grosshans, Hen- 
ry Griess and H nry Hoffman. The 
"whole number of -families is fifty-five, 
1'bey bought, in the agregate, 16,120 
acres of land at an average cost of seven 
dollars per acre, making 1 12, 8^' dollars 
that was paid the B and M. R, R. com- 
pany and to homesteaders for land, their 
property iu Sutton cost them eighteen 
thousand dollars: thsir combined wealth 
in this county is five hundred thousand 
do'ilars. They are a sober, temperate peo- 
ple and belong to the German Reform 
church. 

societies; 

The leligious Societies in Sutton are 
the Methodist Episcopal church, — Rev. 
C L Smith, pastor. Congregational; — 
Rev, John Gray pastor: Christian — 
without a pastor. Baptist — without a 
pastor. Free Congregational — C M Tur 
ner president; F M Brown secretary: 
F M Davis Treasurer, 

Sutton S cientilic Association, for the 
advancement of Science and pursuit of 
technical knowledge — M V B Clark il D 
President, E H White Vice President, 
U H Malick, B S, Secretary, and H W 
Gray, Treasurer. 

OKDEES. 

A F and 'A M.— John C Merrill, W M 
A K Marsh S W; and J E Bagley, J W.' 

Lebanon Chapter A F and AM, U D, 
M J Hull, G H P, A K Marsh G S W. 
Geo VauDuyne G J W. 

I. O. O. F.— R G Merrill, N G., Jo- 
seph Grice, V G., D J Towslee, Sec. 

A O H — not yet chartered. 

FOTJETH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS, 

The first celebration in the county 
since its organization was at Sutton, July 
4th 1872. 'H W Gray president of the 
day. Rev A Burlingame Chaplain, A 
Burlingame reader of the declaration; 
R G Brown delivered the oration, follow- 
ed by Hon W H H Flick, of the House 



of delegates of West Virginia. It will 
be long remembered as one of the best 
we ever had. 

At the celebration July 4th 1873, it be- 
ing a union celebration between Harvard 
and Sutton. E J Moger of Harvard was 
president of the day, Rev A Burlingame 
Chaplain. Miss Annie Foster reader of 
the declaration. Attorney General Rob- 
erts, orator, 7 Weed, marshal. 

At the celebration July 4th, 1874, Dr. 
M WWilcox was president of the day 
Rev A Burlingame, Chaplain, T Weed 
reader of the declarition. Hon John I 
Redick, of Omaha, orator, George Stew- 
art, marshal. 

July 4th 1875, H W Gray was presi- 
dent of the day, T Weed Chaplain. Mrs 
I N Clark reader of the declaration, ora- 
tors were R G Brown, J E Bagley, Q W 
Bemis and George Nuse, the latter iu 
German. .Tames Sheppard marshal. 

The Cenlennial celebration July 4ih,, 
held at Sutton had for its officers, C M 
Turner, president of the day. Rev C L 
Smrth, Chaplin, Dr W M Sammis, reader 
of the Declaration, Dr. M W Wilcox 
orator, followed by George Nuse in Ger- 
man, and N. Anderson \n Swede; Dr 
Martin V. B Clark chairman, and reader 
Judge John R, Maltby and Erastus H 
White, county and town historical com- 
mittee. 

FINE AETS. 

Teachers iu organ and piano music 
were. Miss Phebe Dewstoe, Mrs G W 
Bemis anc" Mrs F A Pyle, 

Band and instrumental music. Prof. F 
W Hohmann; 

Amateur landscape painter D Cronin. 

Plastic artist, James Stewart. 

StrirON POST- OFFICE 

- Luther French was the first Post-mas • 
ter. and was appointed in the summer of 
1871; at this period the office was ia 
French's dug out, and he was ia the hab- 
it of carryrng th3 mail matter in hia 
coat pocket. Afterwards, as the mail 
receipts increased, he distributed the mail 
to the settlers froiH an 8x10 glass box, 
A, Burlingahie, formerly an M E Clergy 
cran; came in from Iowa and settled Aug. 
18th 1871. He succeeded Mr, French 
as post-master January 1st, 1872, and 
has held the appointment continuously 
to the present time. His salary was in 
creased from $12 to $400 per year July 
1st, 1872, two years belore a railroad 
statron was built here. A money order 
office was established July 1st 1873; 
Post-office money order number one was 
issued J uly 7th. 1873 to Russel Merrill 
ibr 110.50 in favor of Samuel Burns, a 
crockery dealer at Omaha: During the 
contest with the railroad company, the 
post-office department was a staunch 
friend of the town, The terms of the 



8 



HISfORY OF CLAY COlt^TY, ^%iR^SKii. 



(Contract for cairyiog the mail between 
Uie rail road eompaoy and t'le depar*- 
nienl cblifred tbe company to deliver all 
mail?, not only at but literally into tlie 
ppst office wlieu tlie same ^'as less than 
SO rods from the station . To the creciit 
ct P M General (Jrcsswell, be it said, be 
alwtiyiS exacled tbe fulfillment o tbig 
prevision. ^Stopping tbe cari= to leave 
the mail, allowed passengers 1o get on 
and oti', wbicb for convenience of" travel 
inc. made /Sutton a station, But; tliis 
wonld not serve tbe purpose of liie com 
pany, ;*nd accordingly, trains were run 
by. last tuouab to prevent passengers 
gettiflo- on or off, and tbe mail baa ^^'^^ 
Ibrown off, and tbe out-g!nng mail was 
cangbf from tbe bands of the pos'masler. 
On tbe morning of August l^itb, J^os'- 
master Bur/mgauie refuEed lo endanger 
bis Jife aov Ioniser by boluing the mail 
bag out for tbe swiftly passine; train, and 
left it in tbe otSce— as was bis right to 
do. About Ibis time tbe mail agent tlirew 
out tbe mail bag inf* the ditcb. Fiom 
♦ bis time forvyard tbe attitude ot tbo 
company was verr bosiile. and tbe war 
grew 1© be a bitler one. Our post-'iias- 
ter ''eporied tbe beaavfor of tbe company 
to tbe departmeul. and the goverumeut 
r.idered tiio iiiaii lo be carried to >".!id 
from Gration, it ibe company's expense. 
T K Linlon. who \n those days was tbe 
freighter to and from that point, took tbe 
con tract, at $100 :i quarter, and r<)utin- 
ijed lor some time, uuiil tbe company, 
tired of paying for tbe carrying from 
juration, sr-ugbt ot ibe department tbe 
privile£re o) asain delivering it in SuftOii. 
The compyny accordingly built a crane 
nearlj' opyosile Gray's lumber yard, up- 
on wbicli they expected to catch tbe 
out going mui bap: as the train flew 
ibrougb the towi:; this was in the fall of 
1S72; shortly afterwards some of tbe 
b>y&" i?awed the crane down, which 
was tbe onl> unlawful act committed by 
tbe citizens during ibe cf)utest. 

In those sober days of s'ruggle, theie 
cccurred some incidents ot a laugbable 
nature, that gave zest to tbe contest 
and served to smooth over its asperity 
and biilerne's. One sifting, snowy 
moraiug il'.e B «& M lioute agent was sure 
be espied the mail sac'K hanging on the 
crane tor tbe first lime; be accordingly 
bung on tbe ib'utlon mail sack and grab 
bed wl.'at be supp )sed was tbe eastern 
mail; but it was so tightly laatened to 
the ciane that Le catie near beiuj jerk- 
ed out of ihe cjr. Tbe obj?cl proved 
to be a dead dog, which some one bad 
Lung to tbe crane for a joke. 

The company (ben offered lo stop at 
tbe water tank, as the tank near Har- 
vard was dry; and they could take wat- 
w and mail at the same lime. All this 



time tbe ofHse was kept in the middle 
bniidi'T2: in Ibe wtobj row opposite 
Grays Inmbn- yard a-od was over SO r,)ds 
from the tank. By rLis means the com- 
pany succsederi in obliging tbe depait- 
ment to furnish a crrrior. 

In this manner the office wa«! 
supplied with miil until tbe final solu- 
lioii of tbe diificaiiy bv the eslsblisbmfjac 
of a depot. Th? ye:irly amount of moa • 
ey orders issued at button pose officio' 
is $33,800; ainount pud out 115.000; 
amoniii. of samp? soldj $1,200; number 
of rHgistered'ie t;;r:3 s?at out yearly 500. 
whole liumber of ord r is?a3ci t') i\ns 
datesi-ve o.430, yearly ■b;ioinj3S of thu 
offiL-e 50.8:^0 dollars. 

THe ROLEDA.D WAR. 

The Urst rail laid oi tb? lovi 
site ofSuttoi by tb^ Bir!!a,>;'';0 i .^ M;.^- 
sonri !{iverraib'oad e.)mf}iMy v-^iis pit 
In'o ifs p'o-ca o"j 1,be liJ*-.h, liay of ^ ig. 
1871. J?Tot lorn after, Mr. Joseph Wils-y 
an attorney of Crete reortj^e-iuiir;' tlu 
railroad company, wai'c I on. Mi". Fl"3 i3'i 
ia bis du.i-out aud iiK]«c-,'J biin to sivt'i 
a con tract, deejlag: Ui? rixit of \vif 
fhrougii toM'ii to tm o;>a"\r>-au^, the coi- 
eideiutiou for ■■>vbioh ws^s a pro nisei rje- 
pot at SiiftoB. 'i'bis de3:l "^as not re- 
corded until .^rt"r Preach s.old to the 
Clark Bros., and was consequeDiiy in- 
valid. 

A freight car had besn u?3l here f n* a 
st.iiion bon^e, and was kno>va as J.2i; 
which nuo^ber was pai.ited on a blea'?Q'.^'.l 
butt do skull, hunn on k stick and naileJ 
to one end oi the car. 

December I5:b or l«;b. 1871. tiie con- 
pany moved their slatum from this pi;c3 
to a new town they had laid out 4-k qrilea 
east, ca'led Graftoa, wiiich c )a?i:^te J (jf 
four bouses. 

Originally tha inlea^iosi of tb3 B & II 
company was to make a station here, tbe 
distance bein^ abiuit half way befwx-eu 
Fairmont and HirVi'rd aul betwpn 
Lincoln and Kearney, and tbe ready 'ac- 
cess to water in tlir valley of School 
Creek, and tbe fneudiy protection o.'ihj 
ucigiiboriug bills and the timbJi' on the 
creek were appreciate.! by ('ol. Thorn i« 
Doane, chief eniiineti of tbe company. 
The ca'u>e tf the l->ng and disagreeable 
contest is now a matter of great iutefe:t. 

Tbe railroad compiuy, witb its un- 
told landed wc.iltb, iirou.^d €Vjry thing 
to bear on thcttrugg ing town that bad 
started out s-o lull of hope and good 
intentions. It instrHcted its officers to 
deny the existence of Sutton, ev^n a? a- 
toicii, as well as a station. How bravely 
and well the people bore up --often beiry 
hearted, buc uev^'r quite discourav^cd — 
under their truiits it will l>e for om* 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



readers to conclude; as to who were in 
the right, and who were victor? in the 
end. ff-indius tor you to decide for your- 
selves. 

It has been claimed by the company 

that because Sutlou tolerated saloons, 

and also the title o the Vromau claim 

■ being in dispute, were suflBcieut reasons 

lor discarding it as a station, 

The } ecple were ever wiJlinu to 
yive a reasonable proportion of their 
lands for a station. lu due time the 
contest between. Vromau and Maltby aud 
TFay was decided, and the tills perfect- 
ed in Maltby and Way, 

negotiations: 

About the 1st, of Jan. 1872, Mr. T. 
Weed, deputed by tlu- citizens, was 
sen* to Creie with a proposition to the 
I'ailroad company Irons the land owners 
ot the town, otfering one half of the un- 
sold porticm ot ihe Clark. Maliby and 
Way eighties, upon which the lowc was 
afieiwsrds built. In aodition, Malibv 
and Way ottered twenty acres of the 
best of their laud for depot grounds. 
Col. Doane wauled two thirds of the 
lots besides depot grounds. and ne- 
gotiations tailed. 

t^imultaueously with this movement, 
Mr 1 N Clark waited on D JM Smith, 
president of the t.wwu site company, an 
organization accessor}' in tact, though 
- not in pretense, to the railroad company. 
This so called company, had charge of 
aud manipulated the location of towns 
and stations. Mr. Clark remonstrated 
with Ml. iSmifh as to the action of the 
company in removing tde station, but 
Mr. Smith would do uothiog to reliev3 
the situation. 

Wmfer, co]d and excessively snowy, 
htid set in, and ihe settieis, strangers ni a 
new country with entire dependence on 
the railroad company to transport tuel, 
and food, made the prospect gloomy 
indeed. 

/Stoli;!, cold, calcuUt,iDg -a perfect di 
plomatist-was this man, ?mith; although 
acting under orders he was very courie; 
ous. He "never g(«'te gave Su ton up," 
and it was puzzliuito know just wuai 
he meant, lie had such periect command 
of himself and uis words. 

The next movement for a depot was 
uuaeriaken by Judge Maltby, who went 
to Boston at his own expense and inter, 
viewed the chief officers of the road. 
He found that they were, or claimed 
Ihey were,jectirely ignorant ot the actio;: 
of tne tovvu sue company in relation to 
this place, and promised jhim they would 
investigate the whole trouble. 



Later in the fall another proposition 
wag m-ide lo the company by the laud 
owners similar to the hrst, except that 
reservations were made for public parks. 

Toward Christmas, Marfhis & bobbins, 
dealers in Gioceries at Grafton, indicated 
theii desire lo move to Suttou. with 
their building and goods. 

Jd accord with the enterprising aud 
liberal spirit, characteristic of the early 
men of fue town, the Clark brothers 
donated ihem a lot and W. Cunning and 
G. VV. Bemis took their <eams, and with 
other public spirited citizens went^ up to 
GralloD, aud moved the bu!\(.iin'g and 
goods lo <SutioD, free of charge. 

The resolute determination of :he peo- 
ple to keep np the warfare at whatev- 
er cost, had then grown to be a settled 
fact. It was the all absorbing theme in 
the stores, on the streets and^at the tire 
side; nothing else was scarcely thought 
of. 

In tiiose days of trial, aud before the 
people had the luxury of a county paptr. 
Ihe Good IVmplars Lodge, then in full 
bl'St, issued occasionally a manuscript 
paper for amusement. In 'one of these 
papers there appeare"] a poem, written 
by G IF. Bemis, now an altornev; .Ihe 
poem is here given to show the burtueu 
of thought. It was published by the Dai ■ 
ly State Journal; a paper wbich uniform 
ly stood by Suttou through its dark 
days: 

GRAPrON TO SUTTON. 

What a clanliing of hammers and rinsing of saws; 
How tbey soand tbrouga the vallie:' and rin^ 

in the draw.s; 
Oh! SuUon is growing, in the midst of the fray, 
With the city of Gralton only /o«r miles away. 

How the B. & M. engines shriek, whistle and 

squall, 
And send forth the order that Snttou must fall ; 
Hovv thcv thunder and mutter and groan night 

ana day, 
With the ci y of Grafton only three miles away. 

Then came Mr; Marthis, and ihu& he did say, 
"1 am Dired oi Giafton; it only I may, 
I'll come down to Sutton, without delay." 
Soon Uraftou w.ll be only two miles away. 

Then started the wagons and horses and men, 
The steeds, how th -y loamed, as a whip now 

and then. 
Came down on their sides, near the close of the 

da,, 
'*Vith the city ofGralton only on.e mile away. 

Then riishe 1 clown She hill the black and the gray. 
Close followed the crowd to have i-port on the way. 
And tUe shout that weut up at the end of the fray, 
Said, "ihe city of Grafton is in Sutton to-day !" 



10 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



In July 1873 I.' K. Clark and Co., 
shipped a carload of heavy hardware, 
the first one iulo the courty,^ over the 
ISt Joe, and Denver city railroad to 
Ihestalion now known as Edgar, and 
teamed it to Sutton. This c<xmpanv !><■- 
ing a rivaH liiie gave a low rate ou 
Jrieght, and it had a preat influence in 
le os'ablishini?; the station at Suflau. 
Onr merchants learDin.2; seM leMance. 
wern uow shipping a largo pe-rlion of 
their good? over this route, and Ly this 
means Chicago to day ha's lost thousands 
<)! dolh'.rs in ti'ade that now aoes to 6't. 
Joseph and will continue to go I'lere. 

Early in ^Ipril 1S73 the last etJort was 
ni&de to secure i station. 1. N. and M. 
Claris, and H. W. <^ray, at the'r own 
expense, made a journey to Lincoln 
snd Fialtsmouth to treat dire?(iy with 
the officeis of ihe road, aiid lay the mat 
ler, lor the las' lime, before the compa- 
ny, Theie had, howtver, been seme 
changes iu the officers of Hie company. 
Col. Doane was stpplanled by C, P. 
Mcise as superintendent, and D. N. 
^milh by Arthur Gorham as presiileut of 
tl.e toun site company. 

T he new superintendent was quite 
bashful and seemed i!l at ease. 'I hcse 
men showed him by freight receipts of 
the St. Joe. and Denver railroad, tht^t 
it wou'd be easy to throv; 1^20.000 a 
year our of their hands and into the 
hands ol their rivals. No arguir-ent had 
been so attentively listened to as this. 
1 he superintendent promised to lay the 
matter before Mr, Perkins, president of 
the road, tnd gave substantial encourage- 
ment that (he'e would be a station at 
ISutloc. 

^bout the 20th uf April 1873 president 
Gorham came up to see about tbe equal- 
ization of taxe?, and repeated the pro- 
visional piun^ise of the superiuteud'int 

About the 1st ot May Ib^To, Arttiur 
Gorham and D. IS'. /Smith came to <Sui- 
ton to negotiate with the citizens and 
make, if "possible, iinul arrangements for 
the CBlcblisbn ent of n depot. The first 
days £e?sion wns in the Court room 
at which tiff e Messrrs Gorham and 6'inith 
Avere the principal speakers. The next 
day 6 session was in the treasurer's 
room. Everything went swimmingly 
on until they came to the Clark eiguty 
of which they wanted one hati. Ihat 
wap refused, and one third offered. To 
this D. IS. /S'milh, after ciusiderable 
pai'ley, remarked thai '-ther^ may be 
equities in this case that would allow 
these yourg men to get oil' with donating 
one-ti'ird," and called on if/essrs. Weed, 
Giay, Tiacy ai;d others, who expressed 
themselves to the end that one. third was 
enough for Cilark Bros, to give. The 
ccmpauy exacted a donation cf forty 



acies from J, M. Gray; forty acres with 
consideration, from G. W. Bjiais. whicb 
Tvas lefiised, and accepted by W, Cuu- 
ning also a donation of 40 acres each 
from Henry B3<ile and J, T{. Mall by: 
one haifof the MaUby and Way eighlies- 
In additiou, the citijens wsra to grade 
the switch, aud vote for Harvard for t'i3 
county seat. 

ihe compiny afterwarcJs paid the land 
owners in bulk $5. per acre, as a con- 
cousidera'ion to make their title good. 
Instead of 20 acres us formerly •)tlered» 
thev' accepted oae hundred feet addilioa- 
al soulh of their right of way for depot 
grounds, 

Iu the fall of 1873 the depit wa5 badt; 
since which tune the company and our 
citizens have had iacia^.ale ani pleasant 
relatioijs. 

Nowhere between the Blue and Platte 
livers have the coupauy sach a pure and 
inexbaustable water supply as in the 
large well at the water lank in Suttork. 
The tirst station agent at .SuUou was R. 
M, Grimes, now post -mister at Kearney; 
L. S. Sage is the present asent. Wm. 
Irving the present superintenclenl of the 
company, furnishes the following stnitii- 
lics: 

During 1873 Sniton station iu frieffbt 
lecevjd 2.483 tons; for'^'ardad 1.15i 
tons. During 1875 frieiihls received 4. 
239 tons; forwarded 5 25.5 tons Djrlog 
1875 from button were shipped 120,fi81 
pounds cf merchandise, and o'33 carloads 
of grain; the same year were received 1, 
389,71(5 lbs. of merchaDdise; 414 biirels 
of salt; 94 b.vrrehs of lime; 64 barrels 
of coal od; 101 barrels of apples, 11 
car. loads of emigants' movables; 26 cara 
of corn lor seed,, 209 cars of lumber aud 
aud 183 cars cf coal, etc, 

CLAEKS' SQUAKS: 

A tract of ahoul twelve aci'es iu the 
northern pirt of Clark's eiahtly has been 
laid oti' and platted as '-ClMrk's Square" 
School creek makes a horse shoe bend 
in pjssina through this square. Avhich is 
heavily timbered and deeply shaded 
with large rock elms. 

oonoltjsionJ 

Under tliese ppreadiug branches that so 
generously protect us. a mere handful of 
settlers gatjered four years ago to cele- 
brate our nations l)irth day. Here to day 
a vas^ concourse of people, numbered 
by thousands, greet the eye; and there 
are two othei celebrations in. the county. 

Born in a fierce storm, like our com- 
nion country .one hundred years ago 
today Sutton standi 'orth a briglit e^:- 
ample of what can be accomplished lu 
[ourv-ars by the resolute eflorts and 
rers "venug industry of . western Ameri- 
cans la these days, the growth o! cities 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



11 



aud states is measured by events, not 
yaars. Ami so lo those who, have been 
actors in the scenes here portrayed, 
ihe span of tioie seetas full twenty year?. 
: What (he Infare great, city Sutioa 
bMU be, when our form^ ?ha11 have sroiie 
bac\ ta dust, let otheis (ell. Its past 
has been told. 

Established aud builded by brave 
be&rt(;d men and Ttomen VThoss names 
tieie committed to the imperi«habie 
pad", arc so wedded to deeds that the 
liis'orian can scarce S3;>arale tliem. 
May the men ory of their sfrugsles be 
kept ever green by posierity. 

General History of CJay County. 

The county ot Clay 'n the stale of Neb 
raslyii is (wentv tour ijjiles square and 
composed of sixteen townships or pre- 
ciircls: co3ia:eocing at the northeasr, cor- 
ner au'J euumeraiing- westward aie 
r..iffjed School Creek, Lincoln. Harvard. 
Lccifster.. .'>e(>tf Lynn, Lewis, Sutioa, 
Sheridan, JIarshall. L:)ne Tree. Ulenvil'e, 
Sp-nio; Ran Che, Fairlield, Edgar aud 
Loaan> 

It is vafeiud on the northern border 
bv the West Bine river aud one of its 
tiibuttiric-s. ."^cbool Creek: On the souHi 
bolder bv the Lille BIi;e Uiver and the 
Big and Ltlle l^andys its tributaries. 
Tlie I wo ^-aiidjs aud School Creek rise 
ju tie western poitioiis of the coun 
ly. Tht Little Bine is a much more 
n-,pid stream ttiaa the West ii'ue and 
has uiinK-rons deposits in its bauks of 
u-irtffnesiai' limes'oae. 

I'he hr^t white settler upon the ter 
1 iimy now known as Clay county wa? 
John B Weston, now Auditor of the 
S'ale of Nebr-isk?., who settled some 



time iu 1857, aud built a ^og bouse at 
Jpawnee jianche on sec 16, town 5, 
: inge 8 on the Litlle Blue River *jn 

^-pring !^:i!!C!iP precmci. 

\'r!ii. H, iiune.-' acting governor of 

Xt-iMiisk'j, on a ] <- ilion of cifixeu voters 

i..tu<-u y Fiochnvn-U>i), Sept, 11th, 1871 

tuillriri/i;:,' :;■) i;i:-fii(,n and desigudtina: 

liicMiUK :u«] iilucc of holding llic same 

!(.; local:- ';;e ouniy seat, aud to elect 

a huarC of county officers: accordingly 

Die tarsi elL'CLion in this couoty was held 

Oil the 1-JtL-, (hiy of Ociober 1.S71, at the 

liou.eoi A.i;xr.id:;r Campbell ou sec 6, 

l')W!) 7. rani^c G, ut.ar the present water 

lunk uu the B. 3c M. R, R. east of Har- 

vtad. At that election there were 81) 

voios palled; ^iQ of tlie?e were cast lor 

button, mak'iig it the county seat. 

The coiuaiissioneis elected at that 
e'lecliou were: 

A. K. Mirsh, three years; 
r. O. Nornida, two years: 
A. A . Corey, one year 



F, M. Brown, (.;ierk. 

J. Hollingsworth, Treasurer. 

P. T. Kearney, sheritt. 

K. S, Fitzgerald, surveyor. 

J, S. Schermerhorn, saperintend- 

eat Public Instruction. 

J. Steiumetz. Coroner, 

The first session of the biard of com- 
missiones was ou Nov. 4th. 1S71: at 
tha* iveetin^ the county wa^ divided 
into three equal portions and desi2:n-i'ed 
".s commi«siouer auc voting precincts, 
and were named Harvard, ^Little Blue 
and School Creek. 

'i ho. Op nrpFoner- precints remrdn, 
but the voiing inecincts wete increased 
to sixteen iu the spring 1875 

December 4th. 1871 R. G. iSrowu was 
appoitod Treasurer to iill the vacancy 
caused by the failure of Hoilingsworth 
fo qualify, At the December 4th. ses- 
sion of the commissioDer board G. W. 
Bemis ivus appointed assessor for School 
Creek, and resigned, J (7, Merrill was 
anpoiuted to till the vacancy. Charles 
CanGeld for Harvard aud JohuW. Lana- 
ford ibr Little Blue Precincts. 

The second board ol county officers 
elfc!;ed iu the f:ill of 1873 were A K. 
Marsh, Ezra Brown and i^ichard Bayly 
Coaimisioners, 

E, P. Burnett. Probate Judae. 

F. M. Brown, Clerk 

F, M. D-Ji'i^, Tteasurcr, 
John B. Dinsmore, S'leriff. 
J. T. Fleming. Surveyor, 
D. W. Garver. sup'l Instiuction. 
Dr. M. Clark, Coroner. 
The the third aud present board was 
flecled in tha fall of 1875, aud are 

Richard Bayly ) 

C- M. Turner > (7oQ:missIouers 

Ezra Brown, ) 

E. P. Burnett. Couuly Judge. 
John B Dins'iiofc, Clerk. 

F. M. Uavis. Treasurer*. 
(J P. Alexander. Sheriff. 

T. W, Brookbank, Sup't Instruction. 
M. S. Edgington, Surveyor. 
Dr. M. Clark. Coroner. 



I'he Commissioner board is given as 
orginizad at, Die time of each" county 
eleetiou proper. The term of offlcs of 
one cocmvssioner expiring each year. 

To fill vacan.-v caused bv expira- 
tion of term of office of A. A. (Jorey, 
!>L L. Latham 01 Harvard was elected; 
o-a his resignation Mr Ezra Brown was 
^:ppointed to till the vacancy. A. Tracy 
was 'elected treasurer to till Ihe remaining 
vacincy of Hollingsworth's terra at the 
general election following R, G. Brown's 



i I o in".;r""^ "■"" . T , appoinlme':t, P, O, JNorniau lesiaued 
.iohu R, Maltby, Piobxte Judge. I j. B- Dinsmore appointed to iill hisprace- 



12 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



Markus W. Wilcox was elected dele- 
gate to the Constitutional conveutiou cf 
Nebraska, April 1875 At the general 
eltr'Ction hi the same year 

the new "conptitutiou was adopted aud 
under it ibe present board of office'^s 
were elected. 

The cou'Jtj' 3 ti-aversed on every sec 
tion line by wagon roads and has two 
railroads exrendinff entiicly acros? it, 

The Burlins,toa and Missot^ri Kiv- 
PT railroad in Nebraska, rnns acioss its 
northern portiou nearly east and west be- 
tween towns 7 and 8. 

The St. Joseph and Denver City rail- 
road rurs across- its soutbern portion, en- 
tering- I he soulL east corner and running 
westerly bearing considerable north. 

The B. & M. Ti R n in Neb, was bnilt 
into the county in the spring of 1871 and 
completed in the tolluwing year. The 
St, Joe & Denver road was built through 
the county in the snriog of 1872 

Names of stations on the B & M are 
Sutton and Harvard; On the St. Joe & 
Denver are Glenville, B'aitfield and Edgar, 

The population in the fa'; of IS71, 
when the county was oraanizrel. ^^s f'sti- 
mated on the basis of the vote then takfn 
at 356. The census taken by the asses- 
sors in the spring of 1876 wrs 4 797 
The tax valuation tor 1872 was $909,322. 
Tax valuatioii for 1876 was $1,311 952. 
Present rate of taxation 1876, includins: 
both state and county purposes is two 
per cent. Highest number of votes 
polled in. the county was 1,210, 

Ratio of increase in population is as 
1 is te 13^; in other words we have in- 
creas-ed 13z times, xheie ai?e fiiteen 
(rustle briuges — iron and wooden in the 
county bfside numerous culverts buiii 
by the county also. The bndees proper 
and their s^ppproacbes rae^jsure over 
1,000 feet; The present indebtedness of 
county is P, 000; During the year just 
past there have been births 192; marraiges 
37; deaths Jrom asthma 1, ioflamation ol 
the brain 1, child birth 1. Cholera in- 
lanlum 3, convulsions 1, croup 2, nia- 
rhrea 1, typhoid fever 3, lung disease 1, 
paralysis 2. puerpural lever 1. scaili'aua 
2. spinal disease 3, ^plenetls 1, leelhin^ 
1. unknown 8, whoupiLg C(>uah 2. acci- 
(ievl 1, drowning 1, in all 36. 

The greater poi tion of the first settlers 
were U S fcoklieis duriug ihe war tor the 
tJuion. and took a qudrler section of land 
under the homestead act, 

CHURCHES IK THE COUNTY, 
METHODIST EFISOOPAL: 

About the last of June, 1871, Will'am 
TThilten, a theological student f om Tou- 
lon Illinois preached at the house of l^ 
Fitzgerald in the northeast part of the 



<"ounty and organized a class. T'he Har- 
vard class was organized in May 1372; 
that at Glenville May 1872. Tn April 
1873 Rev. E. J. Willis was sent by the 
Couference <o the Harvard circuit — 
which comprised all of Clay county, 
first quarterly conference of this chnrcii- 
was Leid at Harvard June 2l3t 1873. 
Scon after this conference the southera- 
portion ol tne county was orscanized into 
the Little Sandy circuit. Rev. Penny 
tnpply, 2bere a-e now 14 appointments- 
m the comity witb a membership of 
more than tour hundred. J'ue 5attott 
class was organized by Rev. A J Swarts 
in the autumn ot 1874. This society is 
now building a brick c'uirch, Rev. C. L.- 
Siiiith, Pastor; Harvard and Glenville 
are in the Hastings circuit, Rev. R- 
Pearson, Pastor. PaifQeld and Edgar 
have each a parsoaaa.'e. Rev. J, ^N, ISor- 
wall, pa*tor; l^priug Kanche is snppUed 
by Rev, Heisley of the Xearney Oircait, 
Rev, A, G. White. Presiding Eider, 

C0NGBEGATIO^ al: 

The first servicer of this church were- 
held in Ihe gr)ve at Button ia July 1871 
bv iif'v. Jones, 

.Mav lath, 1872, Rev, O, W, . Merrill, 
then supevintendent of Home Mis-sione- 
[or NelTHski, \-i'ij eight members, The 
tirst regular cciiuuous services were 
conducted bv Rev, D, B, Perry, now 
Prt^sidenl of Doane College, Crete, Neb'- 
Tbe Sutton Congregational society built 
the first ch'jrch building in the county 
The society numbers over 150 in the 
county. A union Sunday school was- 
organized June 26th 1872, — the tirst in 
county. T: Weed, supt; The Congrega- 
tional school now ayerages 50 pupils, 
r.jis churcii have org^imzations at Spring 
l^aiiche. Fairfieki and Harvard: For the 
n(?i-th halt U.u> ; litv- Jo,ju Gray pastor: 
south '' ' Rev :i^'iirmas Pugli, " 
The Harvard soci'^ty are building a ciiurcb 
building aud have over forty members- 

OATHOLIC: 

The first mass was celebrated by Path • 
8'- Kelley at Clay center in ' a tent June 
15th 1871 with eight men bers, most of 
whom were railroad men, building Ihe 
road bed of the B & jI, Meetings were 
held 6-oulh ol Sutton at the house of 
M, McVey in Sheridan Precinct, This 
church numbers in the county over aOO 
Father Lechleituer. Pastor Crete Neb. 

BAPTIST 

The Baptist church of Harvard was 
organized on the 25t,h day of July 1872 
at the resicence of (.'harles H Warren 
town 7 range 7 on section 30 by Rev 
J N Webb Borne Missionary from 
American Baptist Home Missiouary so- 
ciety. At that time ten joined the church: 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



13 



since (hat time tliere bas been sixteen 
additions b*' letter and S'X dis'tniosed by 
letter lo join otter churches and two 
dn^iped: The first regular preaching was 
by Kev 1 n ISewell Jauuary 26ih 1873 
in the MsFsonic Hall in Harvard: Rev 
Newell held regular services at about 
the same tiu.e at the house of Harry Hull 
near 8uiton where there was a church 
oioanizat'on of 10 members: services' 
discontinued at the latter place in that 
.year and were afterwards held for a time 
in the court house at ISution. He 
preached most of the time to the Hai- 
Vard society until Feb 2od 1876. when 
regular services were discmtinued 

0HE1ST14.N OHUEOH. 

The first sermon at Sutton was 
preachfd Dec. 30th 1875 by Elder J, M. 
YeaiDshaw of Lincoln, three members 
being in attendance, Ihe first sermon 
at Marshall was on the 3fl day of Jan. 
1876. Meetings continued until the 11th, 
Jan. 9, a -igunday fcIooI and church was 
ortian'zed. the result of Elder Yearn - 
eha'^'s labors: The first sermon 
preach at Fairbeld was by Elder New 
comb Feb 13ih. 187H. Members present 
Kere only three, April Sth 1876 aperies 
of mee'liififs were commenced by Eidei 
li, C. Barrow stale evangelist of iS'eb, A 
chuich of 26 members was organized at 
iSuttou on the 16th. The meeting 
closing on the 19Lh At the present time 
the church at button numbers 30. To 
tal number of churches in the county 4. 
I Total number of members 125. The first 
V and ocly Christian tSuuday school in the 
' county was organized ^ept, 14th 1874, 
\ with four scholars by Mrs. P, A. Haileck 
/ at her residence in /Sutton; at the expi- 
' ration ot nine moTJths the school number- 
, ed 35 when the p'ace of meeting was 
changed tj tbe Court House and contin- 
ued at that place until the county com- 
missioners closed the Court House to all 
church organ izatious. 

FEEE-MASOKS. 

A preliminary meeting of the Masonic 
Fraternity was held in the hall of what 
is now known as the Clark House, but 
not finding a suitable room in town no 
aci ion wtiS taken o trganize a lodge. 
Nothing more was done toward an or- 
ganization until late io the tail of 1873. 
Meetings were held t<^) arrange matters ot 
organization at the Court house. The 
first resular communicaticn ot this lodge 
was, U. D. at Melvin's liall Dec. 23id., 
lb7B. Evening btar Lodge A. F. & A, 
M.. U: D. was the name adopted. Ihe 
cflScers at tna* lime were J. Arnot, W, 
M., M. VV. Wilcox, S. W,, J. C. Mer- 
rill, J, W. June 28tn. l874 the lodge 
received a charter from the Grand Lodge 
of Nebraska A. F, 60 A.M. The char- 
ter roembers were R, L. Garr, J. B. Dins 



more, A K. Marsh, C. L. Hemv, F. 
M. Brown, J. C Merrill, M. W. Wilcox, 
C M. Turner, James Arnol. M. J. Hull, 
Wm. D. YonnsT, M. V. B. Clark, J. M. 
(iray. J, J. Melvin, I N, Clarlc. 

In June 1874 the lodsre moved from 
Melvin's ball to their present hall over 
I. N. Clark & Co's ptore. Present num- 
ber 40. At the session of the Grand 
Lodge of the state in June 1876 M W. 
Wilcox was appointed Grand Orator. 

LBBANON OHAPTEE, TT D. 

The first regular communication of the 
chap'er took p'ace at the Hall of A. F. 
& A, M. Dec. 23d 1875. 

M, J, Hull. G. H. P. 
A. K. Marsh, G. S. W, 
Geo VauDuyne, G. J. W. 
Chapter numbers 16, 

^ INDEPENDENT OEDEE Of ODD FELLOWS 

6'utton Lodge number 53 Independent 
order of Odd Fellows, was i'lstituted 
at Crosshans Hall in Sutton on the even- 
ing of Nov. 15th 1874 by the Grand 
Master, Ira A. Gallup, assisted by Bto«. 
from Crete, York and Fairmont lodaes 
Charter members were W. A. Way, 
Geo. t^tewart, J. F. Evans, I. B. Tyr- 
rf 11. E, P. Church and George Krieger, 
All fifth degree members. Evans and 
Church past grand?. W. A. Way was 
elected N. G., I. B, Tyrrell V. G. Geo. 
Stewart, 5?ec. and George Krieger, Treas. 

Following the iD«tal]ation of officers 
by the Grand Master, petitions from R. 
G. Merrill, y, B. Montgomery, W. J- 
Keller, S. Carney and J. Grice to join 
by initiation; and D, J. Towslee as aa 
Ancieut Odd Fellow, all of whom — a dis- 
pensation permitting— were elected, ini- 
tiated and made members the same everi- 
ug, and SuMon lodge started on its mis 
sion of Mriendship, love and truth' with 
twelve member. It now — June 24th 
1876 — has a membership of 25, and by 
next Centennial we eypect them to 
reach the hundreds, not enumerating the 
swarms that may have lelt the pirent 
lodge. The Grand Master assigned Clay 
and Hamilton counties aa district num- 
ber 28, appointing E P. Church district 
deputy, I here is no othc lodge iu the 
county and but one other. Centennial 
lodge, in the district instituted June 8th. 
at Hamilton county, Total amount of 
moneys paid into treasury of Sutlou 
Lodge by the members $595 50 

Total paid lor sick benefits $12. 

("iish on hand gen. fund $75. 

Widow and orpt:a^?s lund % 6. 

Yalue of Lodge property $316. 

Debts None. 

A. o. H. 
A lodge of the Ancient order of Hiber- 
nians was instiiutec* Jan. 15th 1874 at 
Sutton, The first one iu the state, It bag 
24 members. 



14 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



PATEO^'S OF HTISBANDEY 

The first iodae of Palrons of flusbuudry 
■was f()rn]ed al Loiie 'Iree pcbool Louse 
.Sepiember 20fli, 1873: ibe unrrber of 
raen^bcrs now in the courily is qbonr 500; 
il^e order in o'.ber states rendered sub- 
stamial aid to tb^ir destimte bretbren iia 
this coumy and btute lo disfribufin^^ great 
qnaiiliiies of uarden seeds, seed wheat 
and ecru, iu the spring of 1875; 

GOOD TSMPLAESr 

Baivard Lodge ot Good Templars was 
oiiianizeu about the 20tb. of February, 
1873 bv G. W, C. T. J, ^4, Fairbanks 
E. B Baldwin wes elected W. C. T. and 
E- P. Burnett W. S. and is still kept tip. 

The Lodge at Edgar was organized 
April 8th. 1876 by P. G W, C. T., J , D. 
McCasland; A, S. IJobinson W. C- T. 
and A. B. Canlield W. S These lodges 
a.re reported in a ftourishiug eondiiion b? 
T. A. Barbour deputy G. VV, V,. T. for 
15lh district— Clay and Adams counties. 

AGElOULTUEAL SOCIETY: 

The Clay County Agricullnral Society 
was organized ^pril 15tb, 1872; a lair 
has, been held each year since at Sutton: 



December 14tli 1871, in the forenoon, 
fhe scu*h cast quarter of iSchoul creek 
precinct was organized into school dis- 
trict runber one and A. A, Corey. A K 
Marsh and H S Fitzgerald were e'.ec'^ed 
to serve as moderator, director treasnr- 
tr rfspectively; 

School district number tv/o in which 
is fhe town of Sutlon was organized iu 
ihe afternoon ot Dec 14tb. 1871, only a 
lew hours behind district number one, 
Officers elected were Charles Moon, 
moderator, Tburlow Weed, lieasurer 
and Wils Cunniag, director. 

During the tirst tv\o years following 
the date of Ihe tirst district orsamzation, 
iLere bad been sixty-two dislricis oraan- 
izfcd iu most of which there had been 
substantial frame houses built, at ihe 
dale of the first school report April 1874 
itiere were 9t)6 srholais in the county 
between five -and twenty. one years of 
age — the school age in this state, 

The three earliest teachers iu the 
county were "W L Weed district number 
iwo, Thomas M Gregory district num- 
ber five and Laura M Baccrolt district 
nnmber six; Mr Gregorv taught the 
lirst school commeuciug about the hist 
of Dec lb71 beicie the the district was 
organized, 

'1 he total amount expended for school 
purposes during the past three years 
Teas $68,324 

Yalr;ation of school property at present 
time $96:748 



'1 he average wages paid male t jachers 
iu 1874 was per monih 32 

Female teachers average 22 

Present mimber of pupils in the 
county 1,570 

Material in relation to the article on 
the schfols was furnished bv Thomas 
W Brookbauk superintendent public 
Insiruction. 

THE GEEAT SNOW STOEM: 

Sunday night April 18: 1873 there com- 
menced a storm that will be long re- 
membered by the early settlers ot Clay 
county. It had been raining throuah 
tbe day and just before dark the wind 
veered from south-west around to north 
west — tlie rain increasing; Long before 
light Monday morning the rain changed 
to sleei. aiid at day break: the morning 
stil. dark fhe air was tilled with what 
seemed like solid snow, so wet was 
it and carried so swilt by the gale that 
it was almost impossible to move against 
it: it would wet a )ierson through like 
rain in a fev>' moments. All day Monday 
and Monday niaht Tuesday and Tuesday 
night it snowed and blowed incieasmg 
all the time until Wednesday moruina'. 
Many banks ofsnow were as high as the 
houses and many of the draws, creeks and 
rivers were level lull «>f snow. Driven 
before the g-ile almost the entire live 
«tock of the county perished in snow: 
InScbcol Creek precinct Mrs K> ley and 
child wfire trying to go a few rods U> a 
neighbors; gof lost, chilled and froz3 to 
death in the wet s^ow: Before starting 
ont she remarked thdt she would die 
with her child it sue could not get 
through with it a'ive; 'Ihey vt'ere both 
found dead, after the storm: 

GEAS3H0PPEE PLAGUE; 

In July 1S74 swarms of grasshopper 
came from the uoriheaEf in such count- 
less numbers as to make the sunlight dim, 
tjo swiiily did they destroy the crops, 
that a foity or an eighty acie corn field 
would not last them more than two hours 
The rank growing corn would 
literally bend over to gfnind by the 
iveight of grasshoppers. Potatoes, gar- 
den vegetables and ciops of all kinds 
exceptiua wheat and barley already 
harvested, sugar cane aud broom coro 
were swept out of existence in )eveiy part 
of Ihe countv in the short space of two 
days, ^oiabu'helot corn was raised- 
n the coimty- Thd jear before settlers 
buined corn, it being only fifteen cents 
a bushel. The giasshoppir year it was 
shipped from Iowa aud brought a dollar 
a bushel. The people had nothing but 
wheat and barley to eat and feed their 
stock. When winter set in many ct the 
settlers had no money, no fuel aud 
scarcely anything to eat. Want aud star- 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



15 



vation v^as npou them, wlien, by the 
timely aid of tLie easiern states the S3t- 
tlers wore rescued irom actual death by 
s^tar aiiou Id the tail ol' 1S74 a coui- 
mittee 1o procure and distribute aid was 
ii<)ii!:edat t^utton cdiisistina; of C. M. 
Turner cl airmau and dislribuiing agent, 
with F. W. Hcbmaun, R, G/ Merrill, 
Geo. btewart f.nd J. .Sleinaielz, 

Mr. Turner went to Omaha at his owsb 
expense and secured lioin the state aid 
gocieiy the power to const iiute yutton 
an aid supply depot. Paris or Fillmoie, 
York ar d Hamillo" couuties were includ 
ed in ibis aid district. There was distnb- 
iuied Iroci 'S«<loii depot tour carloads of 
coal, lour carloads ot miscellaneous sup- 
ples, inclndiug tijur, meal, bacon, diied 
apples, sugar, etc. Lieut, LJrowj ot the 
fourth U. S. Tntnt. from the Post of Oma- 
ha assisted by Mr. Turner dislribuied 
large lot of army cloibing to the wor,st 
needy. 

The committee to procure and disfrib 
nie aid was formed at; Harvard before 
that ai Sut'OD. Harvard was a dis-iribut 
ing point for Edgar, also for Hamillou 
couuy and oisiributed large quantities 
of supplies. 



settled and bni.'t a log house oa tba creek 
below the Normans. Tu tiie sime sprino- 
J. /S'teirimeizand the BiUzer b^ys sealed 
on the prairi" on section .34 F. M. 
Brown, 0,;us. W, Brown, Geo. Browii 
f.ud R. G i3iown caaie Aprd leutb and 
took up a section of land exceptiua: oiis 
eighty and are among the early settlers 
ill iSchool creek. W. CimDing and wife 
settled ou the northeast I of seciiou SL 
May fouifh 1871, spending four 

weeks under a wasou bed biMore build- 
im his duK-o-it. Mrs. CHuuing was one 
otthe earliest while married women who 
came into the town. R. L. Garr and 
family s-etfled the same year. W. E. Bs- 
mis settled in September 1871- ' 2' be 
iNormans' built q frame bouse in i87l oat 
of elm boards which they sawed out "wilh 
an old fashioned whip saw. 

LINCOLN: 

The Conants, Wm and bis brother 1\ 
Van TYess came m and setUed Miy iirst 
1871 and were the first settlers ia I'ne 
precinct, Th?y built sod Louses. W, 
T. Mc Night came in and settled .^u^-ust 
14rii 1871. 



jS n aid society was formed at Edjar 
wh'ch drew its supplies from Harvard, 
W. A. Gunn, President and M. J. Hull, 
Yice-Piesident and did the piincipal 
part ot the work. There were clisiribut 
ed »bout three cars ot coal, one car load 
miscellaneous supplies besides one-half 
carload /LT, S. army clothing. 



CELSBRATIONS; 

Eleven years ago to day. part of the 
second and sixth Michigan cavalry camp- 
ed between Spring and Pawnee Ranches, 
in this county, on their return Irom 
ISalt Lake. Our tovvLsman F. M. Davis 
county treasurer, was in the second cav- 
alry and took part in the celebration. 
They bad speeches, etr, by "thp boys." 
and two gallons of whiskey with which to 
'cheer up comrades and be gay." 

SCH001. CEEEK. 

In the early summer of 1871 Peter O. 
Norman and his brotrier,natives of t^vved- 
en settled and built a dug-out on the 
creek and were the first while settlers in ; 
Ills precinct. In October 1871 John i 
Kennedy came irom Ohio and settled and 
built his dugout on section 2. town 8, 
range 5 in the noith part ol the town,' 
A. A. Corey settled on the creek near 
the Fillmore county hue, early in 1S71 
and budt a loy- hcuse, at that time the 
creek both ways was heavilv timbered, 
About the same time Albert" K. Marsh 



Tvlrs Ada Hoisingtoa taught the first 
school 'n the spring of 1872 There are 
new two school houses in the precinct, 
cosiing 1800 apiece and are abrjut aii 
average in size and cost olf country 
schitol houses in the county. 

May 10th 1875 D, A. Smith shot and 
killed Orin (Jonant. 'I'he dispute aros3 
about a clam. Smith was afterwards ir- 
dieted for Manslaughter but on a final 
trial was discharged. 

harvaed: 

Harvard is the second in size of towns 
of the county. The first business house 
in the town was etteblished by E, H. 
Birdsall in Februaiy 1872. 7'he towu 
hias a weekly newspaper, the '•■ Harvard 
Advort(tey' a high school builcliug and is 
a go ahead place in every respect. An 
extended history will be present'ed at the 
celebration that takes place fheie to day. 
^Iso a sketch ot Fairfield and Glenvde oi 
the St. Joe R. R. 



W. H. Chadwick, J. D. Moore came 
together and lecaied on section 12. town 
I 7, range 7, May 1871, L. J. blarbuck 
and li- F, Hocket came and settled on s^c 
tion two at I ho same time. These were 
the tirst settler in this precinct, rbey all 
built sod houses, Hockei building his 
first, M, L, Latham and C, D, Moore 
came 80on after, |jMr. Latham was the 
arst commissioner from the Harvard 
precinct, at that time there were plenty 
of antelope on the prai'ic, 



16 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



LEWIS. 

H, U, Peter«ou a native of S weden 
settled io this prechict in ttie sprins; of 
1S70. Louis Peterson and Jonas Joliii 
son of the same naMonalitv came iu soon 
after, John S, Lewis, ofViririnia. after 
whom this precinct was named, setUed 
April 20 1872, 

The tirst election in the precinct was 
for Member of Constitutional convention 
in May 1875, all of the prccints in the 
county at this time adopted names, it 
being <he first election .held after the 
county was divided into sixteen precinct x. 
Lewis then polled 39 and uow polls 60 
votes; I. C, Christianson. a Dane wa 
th( tirst of that nationality in the pre- 
cinct which WdS Nov, lirst 1873 the 
Danes nunber about sixteen m the 
county. 

SUTTON. 

Luther French native of Ohio settled 
permanently on the IS!|^ of N W 
^ section 2, tOAvu 7, range 5 in 1S70 and 
WH9 the tirst white settler in the precinct 
iSoou after, he built a dug-out, logging it 
upon the inside, covering the rool with 
bark and shinghng it with dirt. JJis 
fl^sr. neighborly call was soon arter the 
house was fiuishtd by Captain Charley 
White, of Indian fame, and Miss JSellie 
Henderson, ■whocame on horse back 8 
miles trcm the West Blue atd chased 
down ancl caught an antelope on the way. 
Mr. French vsas the first P, M, in Sulfou 
and the second in the county. He ^aid 
his homi-stead out as the town of but- 
ton iSept. 23d and sold it ISov. 1st 1871 
lo I. JS. and M.'^Jark who came irom 111, 
and Chio respectively. H W Gray 

and son with G. W. Bemis, came ficm 
Iowa May 4lh, 1871 and settled on sec- 
tion two. 

1 hat same spring William and Henry 
Smilh, the Brownells and Hollingviortbs, 
and J 15 ^chermerhorn, James Vroman 
and theEui/eras came soon alter Mr. F. 

May 10, 1871 Henry Evans and wife 
catae in and settled; Mrs, Lvans vras the 
tirst married woman m the precinct. 
In the summer ot 1871 J It Malt by and 
W A W'^ay came tif m Crete and after 
contebting the title right of James C 
Vioman who came the year belore, extin- 
guishing the title to the two eigbties 
lying tlirectly south of the original town, 
ihey laid it out in 1872 as the tfist ad- 
dition to the town oi buaon. 

Situated on three eighties at the north- 
west part of section two is the town of 
button, the county seat, the largest town 
in the county. 

The Chandlers, J. Longatreth, A. S. 
Twitchei, Charles Moon, John D. 
McMillan and D. L. Herrick were among 
the early settlers. 



In Feb 1872 John Yates made ibe tirst 
se'tlemeut and built a frame house. He 
was (bllowed by Dennis Layhane, Rich- 
ard Hiilard, R. M. Mariner a carpenter 
and Patrick Nagle a railioad" man, and^ 
T K Elder; all these men were on their 
'claims six weeks after Yates' settlement; 
a school district was organized in Sent, 
1872; a house was erected in Dec 1872. 
Joseph Tout, now American Express ag't 
at Sutton, taught the first school with 16 
scLiolars. 

In Feb 1873 a Methodist Eniscopal 
churcli was organizeil. Rev Penny, pastor 
with a membership of 15; a union sua- 
r'ay school was organized in June 1873 
with 25 scholars. The superiutondeiits 
have been in the order in which they 
served J M liamsey, S B Moutgomerf, 
Daniel Michael and John Yates. Tbe 
tirst birth was t/ohnnie Nasle son of Mr 
and Mrs P Nagle; Mrs JNagle was the 
first woman in the precincf, the first 
death was an infant child of Damei 
Michael- There is a debating club iu 
the precinct; Dil worth P. O. is iu tui» 
town. 

SPElSe EANOHE. 

Hon J B Weston present slate auditor 
was the first settler in Clay county and 
Spring Ranche. He came iu sometime 
in 1857 and built a log hoase at Pawnee 
Ranche on section Ifi, town 5, range 8- 
He was succeeded by Fred and George 
Roper, who held it until 1864, when they 
were driven vfi by the Indians, two of 
George lloper's daughters were captured 
by the ludians »ud he-d as captives un- 
til 1872 cr 73; One Mr Meicaif, broth- 
er -in-law of Ja", Bainter, was the first Lo 
settle and build at Spring Ranche. He j 

was sacceeied in the spriug of 1862 / 

by .Tames Bainter who was the tir.'^l; / 
permanent sett'er in the county. He I 

took the first homestead in the county in 
1862 on section 8, town 5, range 8, aud 
run the ranche on the Overland Star route 
until June 1864. 

Mr Bainter had a Store and sbout 
$50U0 worth of goods, besides live stock, 
prooucc, etc, 

A Pawnee Indian first brought him 
the news that the Sioux were coming 
aud had attacked the otaer raucbe above. 
He sent his family to Pawnee Ranche, 
about a mile east, then kept by the 
Lopeis, and mounting a fast horse, rode 
up the river to meet them. He found 
them about nine miles up the river: after 
shooting at them at long range, he fumed 
aud ran his horse back, loosed uis 
stock aud went to Pavvuee Ranche He 
soon saw the smoKe of his store, house 
and stable and other unprovnieuts: short- 
ly afterward Pawnee Kauche was attack- 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



lY 



€d by froTH loO fo 200 Sioux. There were 
with bim in the ranche (a sod building 
\vilb pallisades arouud it) three other men 
Wsides several women aud children. 
1 hey fought tor three dayp, keeping the 
Indians at hay, and were materially as- 
Bisted by Mrs. Bainier and the other 
women, who showed great bravery in aa- 
8isting io watch the enemy aud in 
loading: guns for the men as fast as they 
were d'S'^harged. At las' Mr. Bainter 
succeeded in killing the Sioux chief, when 
they withdrew from tli'it immediate vi- 
cinity, A large number of Pawnee 
Indians came up soon afler who were 
friendly, especially toward Bainter, and 
with Ureir as^isiauce the Sioux were driv 
en ofl'for that time. 

'J be Sioux soon after attacked all the 
ranches alMug the LitHe Blue and Bainter 
and all the settlers were driven off, a 
large number of set tiers, and nearly all 
of the sta^e drivers, were killed: Also 
one waeon train ot nearly sixty persons 
were slaughtered. 

From 1862 to 1869 there were do 
setileraentB along the Little Blue above 
Meridian, in Jefferson County, aud no 
whiter excppt a lew adventurous hunteis 
at Liberty Farm . 

A Portable, circwlar Bteatn saw mill was 
bntught into the coun'v by J. 5tover and 
Co in Ihd fall of 1871 and was the 
firs-t mill in tne county and rcnained till 
the lall of 1872. It was operated near the 
old Spiiug Rancbe, alter which this 
precinct was named. 

Peck & Meston, of Har«rard, submitted 
■B proposition to build a grist mill at 
{^priiig Hanche in consideration of $7000 
precinct bonds, to be voted under the 
lutcrual improvement act of the state 
Ictiislature. It was submitted to the 
pfople August 3rd 1873, and carried, 
AHirwards the bonds were adjudged by 
the United States courts to be illegal, a 
mill not being within the meaning of the 
act nndtr which they were voted and is- 
sued. Tiie mill was built 28 bj 40 feet, 
three stories high, with three run of 
stones, and commenced operation iu 
August 1874, It is situated on ILp 
Little Blue river, on nw I oi section 17. 
town 5, range 5 west: June 1st 1876 it 
passed into the hands of Alex; Meston 
oue of the purtners,aud is being success- 
fully operated by him. 

LOGAN 

Albert Curtis was the first settler in 
this precinct, and came in March 7th 
1871. Following him came John Yandle, 
Riley Thurber. May, 1871, Wright Sta 
cy, E M, Isham, JNattian Tucker. A 
€l.ristison, the Pascall brothers, Fletcher. 
Page. — so rapidly did this precinct settle 
up that ail these men had settled, built 



and commenced cultivating the land be- 
fore June Isr the same year. J. B. 
Dinsmore, now county clerk, seifled in 
this precinct May 28th, 1871. In Ju'y 
came Ashley, and Woodhead. M. j. 
Hail settled here November 1st. 1S71, 

/ugu.st3d '71, the first school distrlcl 
in the tjrecinci was organized as district 
number 21, with .T, B Dinsmore director, 
A. ^. Hatdv moderator and A. N. Wal- 
worth Treasurer, '1 he (irst school bouse 
was partly dug out and partly sod built 
by a "bee" everybody turning out to 
li^-lp, If w »s heated by a miserable old 
t<heel iron stove. Tha first teacher there 
was Josepbir e Reed, at ^25 per month. 
District 24 was organized ten dwys there- 
after; the first school house was built in 
this district. The Big bandy Grange was 
organized in this precinct in the spnug 
of 1S73. J. K. Sanborn, Secretary-. 

MSESHALX. 

In July 1872, F'layius Northrup came 
from Budalo county, Wisconsin, snd 
settled iu Marshall, and was the first 
seitler in the precinct. He brought with 
him about seventy five sheep, the first 
ones brought into the county for perma- 
nent rearaae. When he first cam-^, the 
wolves troubled me flock considerably, 
and in the treat scow storm of the fol- 
lowing spring, many of thfm perished; 
but the .Sock afterwards increased, and 
and sheep raising here is counted a suc- 
cess. 

In September, 1872, W. S. Randall 
and his brothers Addison and Warner, 
came in from Washington county, Icwa, 
and settled upon sections 28 and 30, acd 
have since erected comfortable frame 
houses. 

VV, S. Randall was a candidate for 
member of the constitutional convention 
ofthissiate, from Clay county iu April 
1875. He was put iu nomination by a 
number of citizens, wilbnut reference to 
party, and wat barely defeated by Dr. 
il. W, Wilcox. Mr. Randall has been 
County Deputy of the Patrons of Hus- 
bandry. 

Wm Towl aud J. Prawl came in from 
Missouri and settled in Oct, 1872; This 
is the Ceutie precinct JM the county aud 
has a post office at Marshall Centre. 

James Urquhart, Nicholas J^agle, Th33. 
Reed. Swingle, and Schwabj were among 
tlie early settiers. 

XEIOESTEE. 

Leicester precinct is situated in the 
northwest corner of the county aod is 
watered by branches of the West Blue 
river. Among thf^ first settlers were Wm. 
Woolman, A. Woolmau, Joseph Kovve 
and Stephen Brown, who came jn the 
winter of 1871. 



18 



History of clay county, Nebraska. 



Miss Truelove Tibbies, an adopted 
daughter of Rev. Wm. Woolman, was 
drowned accidentally in April 1876 wbile 
attempting; to cross one of the creeks in 
this precinct. The Coroner's inquest in 
this case was the third in the county and 
the first one under Dr. Clark, the present 
Coroner. 

800TT 

G. W. Briggs, and George Mclntire 
were among the first settlers in this pre- 
cinct. It is situated on lite west boundary 
ol the county direct'y south of Leicester. 
The B& M railway passes tt rough the 
northern portion and the St. Joe « Den- 
ver railroad cuts across a very tmali 
pflrtof the southwest corner of the 
precinct. 

lOSE TBEB. 

Lone Tree precinct is east of Scott and 
was first settled by -John P. Scott in 
1871. who was for some time the only 
settler between Spring Rauche and 
School Creek. He settled near the "Lone 
Tree" from which the precinct received 
its name. He was postmaster of White 
Elm pcjstoflBce in this precinct until the 
winter of 1872 and 1873 when the oflBce 
was moved to Fairfield. Charles Osborn 
wasanongthe early settlers. The St. 
Joe & Denver rtilroad crosses a consid- 
erable portion of the southwest part of this 
precinct. 

GLENVII.LK. 

Glenville precinct was first settled by 
Daniel Fitch, a frontier trapper, in 
1871. Later by J. W. Small a»d Leroy 
Winters. The St. Joe. * Denver rail- 
road passes northwest through this pre- 
cinct. The town of Glenville is in this 
precinct, and consists of a railroad depot 
and station bouse, two stores, a school 
house and postoffice. Bennett Cox is 
postmaster and merchant and Benjamin 
Hoi brook keeps the other store. 

VAIBFIELD 

The feltlement of this precinct com- 
ipenced at Liberty Farm Banche at the 
uioutb of Liberty creek on the Little 
Blue. The first settler in the precinct 
was at the Ranche and was agent of 
Wells, Fargo and Co.'s Pony Fxpress. 
It was a post on thoi route from At- 
chison Kansas across the continent to 
Pikes Peak and San Francisco Caliloruia, 
These posts were also the depots of the 
U. S. overland mail service. So trouble- 
some were the war like Sioux in those 
days that the Pony Expreiss riders were 
wb«n carrying on the business of the com- 
pany ufually chased by ihera from one 
j>o6t to another; their custom was to ride 
always at tall gallop through this part 
of the countiy, then considered a dan- 
gfTOES pait of the route. The Indians re- 



peatedly broke up the route and at times- 
it was entirely abandoned to them. Some 
time in 1858. Jame^. h. Lemon kept the 
ranebe and was succeeded by Renjbmiu 
Royce, who, with his brother John, 
mtlves of Ogle county. 111., settled in the 
latter part of 1867. Ben. was at that 
time a state militia man, in the United 
State service, and siatioaed at the milita- 
ry post at Kiowa, on tae Blue, in Thayer 
county. He was in the numerous battles 
between the Sioux and the settlers. 

Soonafiche took hi« claim the Indi- 
ans broke up the entire settlement along 
the Bine, stealing tbe stock, burniug the 
ranches «nd driving the settlers down the 
river to Kiowa. 

In the fall of 186S and spring of 1869 
the Indians were driven t>atk, and practi- 
cally gave up their hold on the country, 
and from this time forward settlements 
took place with aittonisbing rapidity. 

T. A, Shaw, John R. Lavvhead, Cyrus 
Griffith, John R. Thompson and Reuben 
Peachy were among ihe early settlers; 
Mr. Peachy built and stocked a 
store sometime in 1870. He was the first 
postmaster appointed in this county after 
the re-establishment of tbe mail routes. 
The mail was brought from Hebron via. 
Kiowa, Liberty Farm and Spring 
Ranche to the stockade at Red Cloud on 
the Republican liver. 

Early in 1870. Richard Bayly, %• work- 
er in metals and one of the present Com- 
missioners of Clay county, settled on his 
farm at tbe moutli of Butfalo Creek and 
operated a blacksmith shop. H, J. Hig- 
gins settled soon after. Up to this time 
ihe settlements bad been confinedr to the 
river and its tributaries, but in the falh oi 
1871 tbe table lands on either side of tha 
Little Blue began to be occupied. 

xlfred Mills built a water saw mill on 
the river near the old Liberty Farm 
Ranche in tbe year 1871. In 1872 a 
small ruD ol stone was i>ut iii to grind 
feed. Among the ear'y settlers, coming 
in 1872 are A.S. WiUis and his son in law 
W. H. Frey, both justices of the Peace. 

EDGAK 

In norember 1871, J. K. Sanborn made 
the first settlement, in this precinct and 
bniltalog hoo«e. A.F. and .Tacob Rit- 
Jerbush came in the spring of 1872 and 
settled on lands adjoining the town site 
of Edgar. Mr. Carr came in soon after. 
Henry Gipe preempted the land upon 
■which Edgar now utandp. The first 
store in what ia now Edgar was started 
by iJilterbusb & Graham, in a lo» house 
S. 2' <7aldweU staried the second store 
and Rilterbush & Mills the third. Ihe 
first postoffice in that part of the County 
was established at Edgar; A, F* Ritter- 
bush was the first postmaster; W. A. 
Gunn the second, and W. J. Waite tbe 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



19 



third and present postmaster. Situated 
in tbis precinct on tbe !St. Joe. & Den- 
ver City Railroad is tbe flourisbing; town 
of Edgar, witb a weekly newspaper; it is 
tbe tbird town in sizein »he county. 

David D, Jones and faraily, from Col- 
umbus Obio. settled bere June 7tb 1872. 



The Town of Fairfield. 

Some time in 1871, Maxmilliaa Reed 
took up tbe nortb east^ of section 4 town 
6, range 7. Tbis claim be sold to A. B. 
Smith, H. J Higgins. H. Bayly, Cor- 
nelius Durn and otbers — twenty in all — 
and tLey projected a town upon it. Smith 
in 1872, and John Epley in 1873, opened 
stores on the site, and there was a black- 
smith shop started'. Soon after sellin?, 
Jleed shot and killed* himself accidentally. 

^ June 1872, the Ht Joe, and D. C, rail 
road company built a depot on land 
adjoining on tbe east of the little town 
started by the citizens. Near and arouud 
tbe depot the town site company of that 
road projected a town and invited the 
owners and business men of tbe old town 
to come over. The ue^r to'vn site being 
on railroad land, and they not being able 
to perfect the title to the same until a 
foreclosure suit against all the lands ol 
that company was settled, the old town 
refused to move, even in tbe face ot a 
threat from the company to remove their 
depot from the vicinity. However, in the 
summer of 1873 the company succeeded 
in perfecting their title; the new site was 
surveyed, and the citizens weut over and 
established the town thsre. 

David P. Javne started a lumber yard 
in the lallof 1872 near tbe depot. 

A. B. Smith and John Epley moved 
, their stores over I o their present location 

when the present town was establish<Hl. 
) In the fall ot 1873 Chandler, Akins & 

I Co. started tbe carpenter and builders 
I business. 

Cotrad & Hopper started a drug store 
sometime in 1874. 

In the ^umme^ of 1874, J. C. Clarke & 
Co. started the lumber yard now operat- 
ed by J. C. Clarke, 

In 1876, C. F. Shedd opened a lumber 
yard. 

J. W. Small, Irom Ked Oak, Iowa, 
one of the early settlers at Glenville, 
came in and ejjgaged in the real esrate 
businesfc and the sale of the town site 
pioperty, in the fall of 1874. He is a 
notary public, having been appointed 
July I7ttb, 1874. 

Laisy, Fryer in Bayly opened a black- 
smithing and wagon business in tbe fall 
of 1875. 

The firm (rf Smith & Spencer divided 
their stock in the spring of 1875, and 
each started fcr himself. 



J. E. Hopper & Co. started in tbe 
general assortoieot trade in Sept. 1875. 
Hopper sold out to tbe '"Co.," which 
was J. W. iSmall, who operated it until 
April. 1876, when ha sold back to Mr. 
Hopper and went into the agricultural 
implement business. 

John McDonald, a blacksmith, opened 
a shop in the spring of 1874. 

H J. Hisgins started the first meat 
shop, and afterward sold to the Bissels, 
who ran away. Tbe business is now 
carried on by Hayes & Gerrard. 

Tbe postoflSce now at Fairfield was 
originally at White Film, in Lone Tree, 
tiom which place it was removed early 
in the winter of '72 and '73. ' Leander 
Brewer, a U. 8. pensioner, was the first 
and is the present postmaster. The office 
wag kepi in the store of J. E. Hopper 
and Co, 

The town is supplied witb a handsome 
and commodious public scbool hou3e,built 
in tbe summer of 1873. 

A hotel is kept in the railroad aectioB 
bouse in town. 

C0NGBE0A.T10NAL CHUBOH. 

A Congregational church was organis- 
ed in the spring of 1872. by Rev. J. Jones, 
with 11 members. The membership at 
present numbers abount 30. Rev, Thos. 
Pugb is the present pastor. 

METaODIST KPISOOPAL OHUBCn. 

A Methodist Episcopal church was 
organized in tbe fall of 1873 by Rev, 

Bennett, witb about 12 members. It 
now numbers about 30. 

A society to protect settlers from the 
depredations ot bors? thieves, whose 
haunts still seem to be secure iu wester* 
Nebraska and S^ansas. has ita headquar- 
ters at Fairfield, P. Q. Hayes, presidemt. 

Population of the town is about 150. 



The Town of Harvard. 

E. J. Stone, George Vangilder, Eli 
Mosier and Newman Brass settled ^ upoa 
and pre-empted section 84, town 8, range 
7, July 13tb 1871, taking one quarter 
each, and building frame residences there- 
on. After perfecting their title, they ajld 
the whole section to the Eastern Land 
Association, commonly known as the B. 
and M. R. R. town site company, ia 
February 1872. and the town site of 
Harvard was laid out on the same in th« 
following spring by the company. 

F, M. Davis moved in from Llncolia 
precinct July 16th 1871 and opened a 
boarding house iu Mosier'a and Vangil- 
der's buildings. 

E. P. Birdsall came in from Ldncola 
and started the first store ia March, 18721, 



so 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



The Burlingfton & Missouri River rail- 
road was completed to this place in Sep- 
tember 1871. and a depot was tmilt in 
December of the same year, 

L. J. Keeney, M. Mann and — Decker 
each started a store early in the spring 
of 1872, Peck 4nd Meston ettrted the 
first lumber yard, in Maich 1872. 

Cheenev and Farmer Bfarted the first 
livery stable in January '72: Chteney 
soon at! er went west, and Farm« quit 
tbe busine-s, anc" turned bis atteotion 
towKrd law; the buflines* i« now carried 
«o by Risley and Moor*. 
• E J. /Stone was ibe first pottmaater, 
beintr appoint* d in January '72; be re- 
piarned in the t'ollowing nfffing and M. 
Eslpis wap appointed and has held the 
oflBce ever since. 

A meat market was started in April '72 
by the Neutb Brothers. 

Jotn T Fleming came in May '72 and 
bougbt out Decker and started a druar 
store, the tirst in the town; be soon after 
closed out his stock, and has since been 
piacticins: dentistry. 

C. K- Morrill started the second drujr 
store in tlie fall of '72, adding books; he 
also has cbarse of the books of the Clay 
couuty branch of the American Bible 
bcciety. 

C. D. Moore moved his stock of drugs, 
dry jroods and groceries from Orville, in 
BatHilton county, in Deceubpr '72, and 
com mencerl business in Harvard, which 
he still outinues. 

O. M. IS^ule settled in town in the 
spring of '73 and opened a boarding 
house, and is still in the business. 

Lewis stein opened a general stock of 
goods in town in tbe spring ot '73. 

T. n Glovt r moved his store in from 
Anrnra. Hamilton county, in tbe fall of 
1875 and besran ir-^deheie with a general 
asFortn ent ot goods. 

L\()ns Bros began trade here in spring 
of 1^76, in cloihing and dry goods. 

P. hi Colvard came from Button in 
Japusry "76 and began the sale of agri- 
cu'.tuial implements 

Jehu D. Bain, ti'om Lincoln, settled 
hf re and engaged in the lumber trade in 
1873. 

W H. Hammond, hardware. M. D. 
Kellogg, groceries, Mrs G.W.Howard, 
miliinei, T. J. Dowd. jeweller, W. E. 
Vn eiton, biacktmith ar.d A. Davidson, 
billiaids, are among tbe present business 
ii^eii oi Harvard. 

LAWTKES, 

E, P. Burnett was tbe first lawyer to 
Sfliie in ihetown, coming in the fall of 
1872 He was soon afLer appointed a 
nniary public. In tbe fall of 1873 bo was 
elected Probate Judge of the county and 



in 1875 waa elected to tha oflBce of Coun- 
ty Judge under tbe new constitution, 

W, A. Farmer was ad milled to the 
bar Msiy 23d, 1874, apd commenced the 
practice of law at Harvard in connec- 
tion with John D. Haves, Esq , of Grand 
Island, Neb, He was also B. & M. ag"t 
for the sale of town lots for some time. 

ME0HAJSII03, 

Ezra Brown settled in July 1871 and 
commenced ihe business of plastering; he 
has been twice elected to office of Couuty 
Commi«sioaer and 13 a member of the 
present board. He is also a justice of 
the peace. 

T. A. Barbour, carpenter and cabinet 
maker, settled in July 1872. He is & 
notary public, atid is also associated with 
E P. Burnett in the insurance business. 
He is district deputy for (;!lay and /Vdamg 
counties, of the order of Good Templars, 

SCHOOLS 

Mrs. C. K. Morrill taught the first 
prbiic scboo!, in tbe winter of '72 and '78 
at her residence iu town. The nexc term 
was taught in the new school bon!=e by 
E. P, Burnett in tbe 8uma:er of 1S73, 

The new public school building was 
completed in the spring of 1873. at a cost 
of jjt4,000. It is a two «tory irame with a 
cupola, and is well furnished with school 
furniture and aparatus. 

HOTfiL=t. 

Stone & Dimick built the 'Howard 
House' and commenced the liotel businessi 
in June '72, Ii is now conducted by 
J M Jacobson ur<der tbe name of the 
'Commercial Hotel.' 

The 'Nebraska House' was built in '73 
by Jacob Gfaoerincr, who still conducts it. 

NKWSPAPERS, 

The Harvard Champion was tbe first 
paper published in the town and cornty. 
and was stalled in tiie summer of 1872 
and continued weekly for ab.)ut a year, 
when tbe proprietor, Julius Eaton, sus- 
pended its (lublicatioo and moved tbe 
press away. It was a 7 column folio. 

The Haronrd Advocate was established 
by W. A, Connull in tbe spring of 1874 
as a 7 coivimn folio, patent inside; it is 
printed all at home at present. 

SOCIETIES. 

There are three church societies in the 
town, the Congregation il, Methodist; 
Episcopal and Baplisi; services are held 
at piesent in the public school bailding. 

The Indep<'ndeut Order of Good Tem- 
plars is rcprrseattd by a fiouria'aing lodge. 

Ha-vard was incorporated as a town 
iu 1873 and has a population at. present 
of aoout 250. - . . 



HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



SI 



Harvard lodge of Free Masons, No. 44, 
bad an informal meeting at the homestead 
hoase of F M Davis norlbeast of town, in 
December 1872 at which were piesent 
seven members of the order; The Lodge 
worked U. D., occupying their present 
ball in town, until Ju'y 24th 1873, when 
it was constituted, and was the lirst lodge 
in the county. The first ofiicers were 
A J .McPeak W M. F M Davis S W, 
Ezxfi Brown J W, Samuel Sloat Treas., 
and Warren C Massev Secretarj', In 
Decembsr '74 F M Davis was elected 
W M, Present officers are Ezra Brown 
W M; W J Turner S W; S W Harney 
J W; Geo W Howard !Sec Louis Steio 
treasurer; Present strength 40;^ 



The Town of Edgar. 

Edgar is located on the south west quar- 
ter of section 26, town 5, range 6, west, 
being about one mile from the south line 
and 8 anc' one half asiles from the east 
line of the county 

The town was laid out and the plat 
recorded April 14th 1873. 

The fiisl store was started by Jiitter- 
busb & Graham, June 1st 1872, and was 
kept in a log building jusjb north, of the 
present town site. 

About June first 1872 the St. Joe & 
Denver railroati depot and section house 
was built in the town, 

J. D. Beck put in a blacksmith shop^ 
about July first, 1872. 

S. T. Caldwell & Co. settled early and 
deal in general merchandise. 

Tidball Fuller deal io lumber. 

Schuyler (fe Barnes conduct the Edgar 

nills. 

j Dr. Schenk is the physician and sugeon. 

1 , f C. F. Sbedd & Co. built an elevator in 

\ i73 ind was the first firm engaged in the 

jXain business in Edgar, 

Glazier Bro's commenced business in 
/ he Sprine of 1874, first as J.G. Glarier 
jnd then as Glazier Bro's, ttiey building 
the storeroom tbey now occupy. 

T. A. Hendricks builtadiug store in 
1873 and entered into business with AH 
Curtis utder the name of Hendricks &Co. 

Gyrus Stayntr located here in 1872, 
buiWing a furniture store on the site now 
occupied by his block. Mr. Stayner also 
purchased the N. E. quarter of sec, 26 
©1 Asa Gipe, and W. A. Gunn at nearly 
the same lime purcbtised ot Marion Gipe 
the Koiith-eart q.uarter of section 26 which 
they still hold. 

Howard Bros, commenced business in 
1874, in the building erected for them .by 
Daniel Hodges the same year. 

In the lall of 1874 A. B. Cautield built 
the building now occupied by bim as a 
store but did jjot use it for that purpose 
until th;? text year. 



W. F. Whitmore started bis livery 
business in the year 1873, and built bis 
first large stable in 1875. 

C. E. Green built a building for a 
billiard hall m 1873, T^hich after varions 
changes, having been used for an office, 
residence, billiard hal! and shoe shop, it 
is now occupied as a restaurant and shoe 
shop. 

J. P. Hawkins located here in Jnnuary 
1873, buying ihe stock and building of 
T. A Hendricks. 

W. J. Waite started a drug store iii 
1874 and afl'rwsrd sold to ^4. hherwood» 

The Edgar Exponent, a weekly news- 
paper, 6 column folio was stirted by 
F. M. Comsiock in November 1876, and 
is now owned and piTblished by W. J, 
Waite & E, B, Dewey. 

Since January, 1875, the following 
persons have erected residences: Rev, 
Allen Ives, Rev Dr Dixon, M. 8. Eds- 
ington two, C. F Glazier, I.V.Howard, 
J. H. Brown, E. E. Howard, Cbas. H. 
Ridffelow, Cyrus Btevnor, J. R. Caudy . 
J. VV. Gunn, O. J. Whitten, O. Crous- 
mun, J. P. Hawkinf, and several others. 

Cyrus i^tayner built the large block 
now occupied by A. Sherwood druggist,. 
C. E Green, grocer, Joy & Culburtson,' 
milliners, J. V. Steyuor, photographer 
and Steynjr Bros., furniture dealers, 

J. G. Thomas, has a building occupied 
as a salocn. 

Cyrus Stflyner built the build'ng now 
used as the postofflce and Exponent 
printing office. S. J. Whitteu built the 
lumber office now owned by Tidball and 
Fulh-r: C. F. Shedd & Co. an office; A. 
3. Briggs a blacksmith shop; W, Y^ 
Whitmore a livery stable; W. A. Guiin 
au office; C. E. Green, shoe shop; J. P. 
Hawkins, '■esidence; the Method'st Epis- 
copal church parsonage and other build- 
ings were also built within that time. 

The following gives a synopsis of the 
business of the town; 3 genefal >«t«)res, 

1 grocery store, 1 hardware srore, 2 drug 
stcres, i furniture store, 1 photograph 
gallery, 1 milHnery store, 2 lumber yards, 

2 billiard halls, 2 hotels, 2 livery stables, 
1 saloon, 1 harness shop, 1 shoe shop, 

3 real estate agents, 2 lawyers, 2 notary 
publics, 2 physicians, 1 newspaper and 
job printing office, 3 grain dealers, 2 
restaurants, 2 resident ministers, 3 church 
organizationfe, 2 Sunday school^. 

The number of scholars in the public 
school district ia 53; population of the 
town about 2'00. 

Edgar was incorporated as a town oni 
the 15th ot March 1875, and John Glazier, 
Andrew Sherwood, S. J. Whitten, Henry 
Gipe and E, E. Howard were appointed: 
town tros'ees for one year. 



22 



HISTORY OF CLx\Y COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



'-d 



CONCLUSION. 

lu tbe foregoing summary of lacls re- 
lating to the settlement of Clay County 
and its seireral towaa, we bave endeavor- 
ed to sliew ILeir progFcss by submitting 
a sketcb of the business represented in 
each locality, their public isnpro'vements 
and such incidents as bave become prom- 
inent in their loeal history. 

It shows "what has been accomplished 
in a county from which the red men were 
expelled but ten y*-ar8 ago, nearly all of 
the present improvements having been 
made during the last six years. 

This county, situated in the central 
portion ol' the fertile '^Soath Platte' coun- 
try, (onslstiog of prairie land, excepting 
the strips of timbered land on the borders 
ol all streams ol wat^r, has been tians- 
formed li< m an apparently barren waste 
into a tiuitful garden. Groves of young 
trees are springing up on evtry l«rm. 
each settler striving to add to the beauty 
and fertility ol the country by raising 
not only fruit, but also lorest decs, that 
will make this a 'timbered' county lu the 
near future. We impoit lumber now» 
and start thetoresis that in ages »o come 
are lo supply the present waste in the 
lorests of tbe ea&t. Each succeeding 
"Arbor Day'' adds, thousands upou thaii- 



! s«»nds of young trees to those already 
planted. 

The two railways that span the county 
have given an impetus to immigration 
and swelled our property valuation, les- 
sening taxes and aflording competing 
trans|)ortatiou faciliites. And it is com- 
torting to know thai, the county is free 
from bonded debt, and I'jat the entire 
debt on all other accounts does r-ot now 
exceed three thousand dollars. 

Where six years ago the deor and tbe 
antelope skipped over the plain in their 
native freedom, new roam great herds of 
cattle, fattening on the luxuriant grass. 

Then the wild flowers blooB:ed in their 
virein beauty unnoticed. Now, great 
fields of waving grain are wu every Irind, 
telling,, in silent clocpuence, a story of 
peace and plenty. 

Gathered heie from every dime are 
representatives of the strongest and b^st 
dicipUned races of the earth,, wiio are- 
bui'ding up a communily on a foundation 
most lavoiable to the permanent prosper- 
ity Ol the ••b.'^ne and sinew" of the woiil 
— wliere leligious freedom, a free press, 
free speech and Iree schools flourish 
under a Constitution extending equal 
protection to all men. 

All of which ia respect fully submitted by 
The CoMMiXTiE. 



ERRATA. 

Tow n of S u tto n.. 

Page 1, Luther Frencli was born in 
Lake county, not 'Geauga.' 

Page 2, Mr. French c3.Tmeiiced s^nr- 
veying the town ^ugiast 12th. cot 10th. 

Page 2, County seat was located l>y a 
vote ol 5& to. 33 not 43. 

Page 5, Alter the word 'Crete/ read. 
Turner Bros., V,. M. and O. M , had a 
general assortment store lu the building 
next to the Central Hotel, occupying it 
as such trou: the tall oi 1874 until the 
summer ot 1875, at which time it was 
moTed oyer to 1 mner & iluncer'* store. 

Page 7. Fine arts Mrs. J, 11 Maltby,. 
piano and organ teacher, 

COUNTY HISTORY. 

Page 14, Read, in York county near 
the JS, E. corner of ijchool Creek precinc t, 
Mis. Kaley," » to 

Page 15, School Creek precinct — P. O, 



Normau and John K.eyiuedy settled iui 
15*70 instead of 1871. 

Page 15, Lincoln precinct — F. M. Dav^is- 
Ezra Brown and Samuel Sloat were the 
tirsf settlers, instead o>f the Coaants, etc. 

Page 15,, Harvard preci net— Read,, the 
lirst a^tileiuput was by Isaac Daw.-on and 
John. Hockeuthaler, in the fall of 1871 iu 
the northern part of the precinct. 

Pase 16, >utton precinct — After the 
name ol J. .6^. Scherraerhorn add a period 
in^ead of a comma. 

Page 16. Lewis precinct- -A. D. Pet- 
erson, no' "F. D,' 

Page 20, Town of Harvard - Dr. Yan- 
derslice setlei iu '/lay 1872 and moved 
away the follovvius year. Drs, Todd, .Tr. 
•>nd Sen., came in the spring ot 1872, iht; 
ohl peullemaii is still practicing. L)r. I. 
U. Howard, Ecieciic. settled iu May 1873 
and IS still in the practice. 

Page 17, Logan precinct — lu the last 
line", read Jonalhai' Sanderson instead 
of J. K. Sanborn. Also iusirl the word 
""liame" before ^'school house," in the 
l«,uvlh line from tlie last. ; 



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